


Don't Call me Julia

by ElijahGiovanni



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Bullying, FTM, Flashbacks, Gen, Mycroft Being Mycroft, Parent-Child Relationship, Parentlock, Sherlock Being Sherlock, Sherlock has a Transgender Child, Transgender, Translock, Triggers, single parent, violin lessons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-07
Updated: 2014-08-07
Packaged: 2018-01-14 23:00:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 29,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1281931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElijahGiovanni/pseuds/ElijahGiovanni
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sherlock was left to raise a child on his own ever since the day Julia was born. To him she is perfect. To herself she is flawed and despises living in her own skin. Confiding in her father was always difficult, but how can she possibly tell him, a high functioning socio-path that underneath it all, she is a man trapped inside a woman's body? Eventual Sherlolly and will contain triggers in much later chapters. AU that will closely follow the series from first meeting John Watson to the end of series 3. Then I plan on a sequel when series 4 is released. Will contain spoilers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this idea floating about in my head for a little while now and wanted to make it reality. If you don't like it, don't read but I do appreciate your time. I hope that my writing style will improve as this fan-fiction grows. ^.^

Sherlock scooped the new-born child into his arms and cradled her against his chest. The baby still had half of its umbilical cord attached and was crying softly, shivering, nuzzling into the detectives shirt for warmth. She looked as though she were only a few hours old when Sherlock had found her on the doorstep. Her mother was nowhere to be seen and all that was left to explain why the child was there was a single sticky backed note.

" _Yours."_ It said. " _Name it what you wish."_

Sherlock recognised that hand writing instantly. Natasha. He'd remembered briefly of that night that had slept together. Nothing had come of it. Sherlock was curious as to why human's experienced sexual desire. The test results were inconclusive, he had consumed alcohol in preparation but found that his senses were too clouded to remember what else had happened. However he had known Natasha had gotten pregnant and the experiment was never repeated. He had sworn that he would be a part of the child's life.

Nine months with no contact had gone by quickly. No contact from the mother. Sherlock began to think that she had terminated the pregnancy, carried on with her studies, forgetting anything had ever happened.

What he did not expect was to find the child abandoned on the doorstep to his family home. Nobody but Sherlock was in the house so whoever had put her there must have waited until he was alone. The mother was nowhere to be found. At nineteen years old Sherlock was not fit to be a father. When He saw the child he brought it into his home immediately, grabbing any sort of blanket he could and clamping the chord with a clothes pin, running warm water in the sink with intention of bathing her.

He was considering giving the child up, giving it a good home with a  _normal_  father who would show her affection and teach her the ways of life. The things he was inexperienced in.

He almost agreed to do it. But his feelings betrayed him. The baby gurgled and cooed and smiled. She giggled and grasped firmly onto Sherlock's pinky finger. Her tiny hand refusing to let go. Her eyes widened, her smiled broadened and gazed lovingly into her father's eyes. Then she brought the finger into her mouth and sucked on it gently. There were no tears, just happiness. Sherlock felt something he had never really experienced before. Love. Was it love? Could somebody love something that quickly? This child was a part of him, she was different than the others who had tried to be close to him. He gulped and tried to speak.

" _So you are my daughter then."_ He began. " _You are beautiful."_

A name. Of course he had to think of a name to call the girl.

" _Julia.."_ He whispered and she seemed to like that name very much, smiling widely and attempting to kick her little legs.

" _Yes, I shall call you Julia."_

His parents were in Glasgow for the weekend so he would speak to Mycroft that afternoon.


	2. Chapter 2

_"Bit different from my day."_

Julia heard a man say as Mike entered the IT suite. She was working on an essay for school. Visiting her father at Bart's was a habit of hers she had adopted when she found that free periods in the school library only surrounded her with stupid people. She also harboured another secret which her father was not going to find out about. He would never understand. Empathy was a subject that his knowledge did not exist in. Julia looked up to see her father typing away on his own computer. Presumably it was in relation to the most recent case - Julia was unsure of the details. There were other things on her mind.

 _"Julia can I borrow your phone? There is no signal on mine."_  He asked her, She looked up at him, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. Surely Sherlock would have been able to deduce that they were on the same network.

 _"Considering that we are both using a shared contract dad, surely you could have deduced that I would have no signal either?"_ She smirked. He looked at her, annoyed but clearly not serious and looked to Mike.

 _"Mike?"_  He asked, eyeing his friend. Pockets, no bulges or change in direction of the fabric. Obviously empty. No signs of a mobile phone in his possession. He does not have his coat with him and that is usually where it is kept if not in his pockets. Waste of time asking him.

_"Sorry, It's in my coat."_

Sherlock, ready to give up, sighed and got to his feet. Then Mike's friend piped up, removing his mobile from his jeans pocket.

 _"Here, use mine."_ He smiled, holding it out. Sherlock accepted it gratefully, thanking him.

" _This is John Watson.._ " Mike told the pair, gesturing towards him and smiling. Sherlock started to type out a text message, barely glancing at John. Julia knew what was going through his mind straight away.

 _"Afghanistan of Iraq?"_  He asked, confusing the man.

 _"Sorry?"_ He asked, cocking an eyebrow, leaning against his cane but acting as though he had forgotten he even had a leg injury. Julia scanned the man over, deducing that the limp must be psychosomatic – making the connection to military judging by the way he stood and his hair-cut. There was only so much information she could get from where she was sitting. She glanced at her watch and noticed that time was going by quickly. When her father opened his mouth to speak once more she beat him to it.

_"Dad I need to go back to school now, I'll see you tonight."_

The fourteen-year old wished she could have stayed to witness the confusion on the strangers face but she needed to get back to school, her free period was almost over.

 _"Very well._ " He breathed, brushing her off casually, handing the phone back to John. The girl slipped her blazer on and grabbed her shoulder-bag. She winced as some of her curly locks became trapped under the strap on her bag but she soldiered through it as she left the room, almost colliding with Molly Hooper. Smooth Julia, very smooth. She gave her a brief, genuine smile and strutted away. She'd always liked Molly and wished her father would treat her a bit better than what he normally would do.

When Julia entered the school grounds after untangling her hair from the mess it was in, she looked at her surroundings. She needed to know which of her classmates to avoid. Even if it meant meticulously plucking them out of a crowd and studying everything about them just by one look. Her first victim was a tall girl that would be in full view of her if she continued walking.

**Specimen 1:**

**Kerry Blackwood -**

Blonde hair, obviously chemically treated. The unnatural yellow tones and frayed ends are an obvious give away, Her eyes have no make up on them yet her lips are caked in harsh red lipstick. Her top-three shirt buttons are undone to reveal the little cleavage she has and hints of a crimson bra. The subtle way making a man want to kiss her after looking at her breasts. Her body is laced with fake tan and a short skirt high enough to show off her behind. There were no tights to conceal anything. Her Heels so high she had grown an extra foot. Obviously attempting to gain male attention. Also a poisonous bitch. Her tone of voice from what Julia could hear was snarky and dull. Also from experience, Kerry would constantly point out how un lady-like Julia was in every single way possible, one of those bitches that threw blind taunts in the girls lavatory.

**Specimen 2:**

**Gordon Stuart -**

Brown hair messily combed into a ridiculous spiked style similar to the body of a sea urchin. Spots covering almost every inch of facial skin and stubble poked un-attractively out from his jaw line. His muscular arms wrapped around Kerry as though he were some sort of trained dog. His expression was fierce.

**To be avoided: She concluded.**

Calmly strutting in the opposite direction, Julia managed to avoid the blonde bimbo and her spotty pet. He had beaten Julia many times around the back of the school during lunch hours and free periods. Even when she walked home he would try to follow her. Now safely out of view the girl looked at herself quickly, she despised her body. Her breasts already developing at alarming rates and her hips widening, other parts of her were too curvy and her skin was too smooth and baby-faced. – She wished she were still young. She was one of the very few girls to not wear a skirt and she stuck out like a boil. Her Dr Martin boots and lack of make up, fake tan or style to her hair made her the worst sort of target. Her deduction habit only rubbed salt into the wounds. Julia was always a tomboy - In fact Sherlock had never know her to be anything else. He assumed it ws due to a lack of mother in her life. However Julia knew that there was something more to her than being a tomboy.

Shaking her head she saw her friends sitting on the stair-well that led to the history and social studies department.  _Playing truant again.._  She thought.

 _"Hey man, we got S.E next?"_ She asked Peter, her best friend. He was the first to acknowledge her arrival. He stood up, swinging his bag over his shoulder, chewed on the inside of his mouth and nodded.

 _"Damn Jules, I hardly see you any-more._ " He replied. He bumped his fist against hers and slipped her a piece of gum.

_"Those delightful classmates of mine are the ones you should thank for that."_

The others, Daniel, Courtney and Paul grudgingly removed themselves from the stairs when the Head of the Department shooed them away. Julia greeted them all with more fist bumps and pulled out a packet of cigarettes from her pocket when she was sure that the teacher was gone.

 _"Babe where did you manage to get these?_ " Courtney asked, accepting one of the cigars, giving one to each of her friends. Dan always carried a lighter on him. Everybody took their turn in lighting and chugging on their cigar.

" _Gordon. It wasn't a difficult deduction. Reeking breath, yellow marks on his fingers, no signs of them on his body. He isn't stupid enough to carry them on his person in a school. I pinched them from his bag when he was playing football. Serves him right for socking me in the face every bloody day."_

Peter smirked at his best friend. Her deduction skills always fascinated him. They proved to be very useful during class time. The group were not exactly the crowd of friends that Sherlock would approve of but he must have deduced by now what Julia was getting up to at such a young age. He must simply be glad she was not getting drunk, having sex or doing drugs. Maybe his skill was not as good as she thought it was because the ignorant swine did not even question the injuries his child came home with every day even when she was obviously lying about how she got them. He was always too wrapped up in cases to take any real notice of her.

 _"You really are something? Aren't you?"_  He laughed, stumping his cigar out on the floor. The bell rung just as he did so.

 _"Let's go."_ Julia said, rolling her eyes. She chose to ignore compliments. The fact she had friends was already against many of the things she believed in.

 _"I'm surprised you aren't talking about those suicides that have been in the papers all week."_  Paul chuckled, gesturing to a newspaper that was on the whiteboard as they entered the class room.

 _"Murders."_ She corrected, gaining a wide-eyed look from her friend. They all filed into their designated seats.

 _'Murders?'_ Courtney mouthed from the other side of the classroom. Julia nodded and smirked, facing away to look at the lesson plan. People were already laughing and looking at her strangely. She knew why almost straight away.

**SEXUALITY AND GENDER IDENTITY.**

_Oh great...let even more rumours about me begin.._ Julia whispered to herself. Everybody thought she was a lesbian because of her boy-ish attitude. Now things were going to get even worse.

XxxXxXxXx

**Leaving School now, where will I be meeting you? JH**

Luckily Julia had made a quick escape from the school without any unwanted attention. She walked towards the London underground, waiting for her father to reply. It cost too much for her to hail cabs every day after school so her uncle Mycroft had set her up with an Oyster card that he would ensure had money on it when need be. S.E had been reasonably dull. However there was something she had been taught which she could not quite shake from her head. It seemed to relate her scarcely well but she knew that it required more research before she could make a conclusion with her findings. She felt her mobile vibrate in her pocket.

**Baker street. SH**

Of course. They had just recently moved into that flat. Sherlock had stated that he needed a flatmate so Julia wasn't surprised when John Watson had walked into the IT suite that day. It was obvious as to why he was there. Plucking her oyster card from her pocket she swiped it over the ticket reader and took the escalator that led her to the tube she would have to take.

 _"Hey tranny!"_ A familiar voice called. The bleach blonde locks caught her attention for two seconds. Kerry bloody Blackwood. 

Julia pretended to be deaf. Stupid classmates that couldn't help but compare her to what they had learned in class today.

_"Hey if you aren't a lesbian, does that mean you are a Tranny?"_

_"I believe the term is Transgender."_  Another voice piped in. A woman who appeared to be in her forties silenced them with a glare and then sat beside the girl. The comments stopped. The teenagers were cowards at heart. They went back to gossiping about boys and make-up and god only knows what else. Julia tried to make a quick deduction but couldn't seem to get anything from the woman's appearance. She looked far too normal. Her hair was natural and brown and she was fairly big. She wore a hideous floral shirt but Julia did not want to point that out. Clearly if she was going around defending random teenage outcasts, she did not care what people thought about her. 

 _"Thank you.."_ Julia whispered. She felt awkward sitting there.

 _"Im Tracy. I work for the LGBT youth."_ She said calmly. Julia was unsure what to say so she nodded, her arms stiffening at her sides and looked across the carriage. She tried her best to be polite but really she wanted to be left alone. The voice over announced that her stop would be the next one.

 _"This is my stop."_  Julia commented, getting up and moving across the carriage. She felt a card being placed into her hand. Julia hitched as though she had been given a dirty football. 

 _"If you ever need to talk, you can contact me whenever."_ The odd woman smiled. Julia raised her eye brows curiously, mouthed a thank you and left the tube as soon as it had arrived at the station, pocketing the business card without a second thought. What a strange person.

XxxXxXxX

**Baker Street. Now. SH**

Julia inwardly rolled her eyes at the text her father had sent her. He truly was an impatient man. Sensing that his tone was urgent she tapped her fingers on the screen and jogged the short distance to the flat.

**Be Patient dad, I can't control the tube system. JH**

**Hurry up. SH**

When Julia entered the flat she found half of their things spread across the room. God only knows what Sherlock was up to. Books, mirrors, tools and even Persian slippers were some of the many things that littered the ground. In the middle of the mess,  seated cross-legged on the floor using his laptop was her father. It looked as though he was ready to lead some sort of satanic ritual.

 _"Why so impatient father?_ " Julia asked sarcastically, traversing into the kitchen to make a cup of tea. Sherlock glared at her as though saying 'You know why.' He then looked back to his laptop. The room fell silent for a few minutes until it was broken by the kettle popping.

 _"Murder."_  Sherlock said dully.

 _"What?"_  The child asked, confused. Lifting the kettle and gesturing it to her father. He nodded, answering her unspoken question. She listened intently as she made herself a cup of tea and her father his usual black coffee with two sugars. She made a mental note to stop letting him drink so much of the stuff. He'd never get to sleep at night because of it.

_"The suicides, there must be a connection, there is always a connection."_

_"Murder."_  Julia echoed _. "I knew it, It seems to suspicious for it not to be."_

Sherlock smiled proudly at his child, closing over the lid of his laptop and getting to his feet. Sherlock could never sit normally it seemed. As he went to collect his coffee from the kitchen counter he eyed his daughter as if trying to read her.

 _"Something is on your mind."_  He breathed, sipping slowly on the hot beverage. He then saw her eyes soften for a fraction of a second and noticed her fists clench.  _"But you would rather not talk about it."_  He added, setting the mug down.

Julia nodded and added a teaspoon of sugar to her cup. It was her subconscious way of dealing with nerves. Sherlock had picked up on that too and set a hand on her shoulder.

 _"You know me too well."_  She groaned, relaxing into her father's touch. 

 _"John Watson, he seems like a fair candidate for being a flat-mate. He will be over tomorrow to look at the flat."_ The Detective said, ignoring Julia's comment. A smile sprawled out across her face.

 _"Wait 'til he sees the thumbs in the vegetable drawer when he wants to use the fridge."_  The girl joked and Sherlock could not help but chuckle at that. He lifted his coffee mug another time and sipped on it. Julia tried to finish her tea but almost choked on her giggles. If Dr Watson could live with the thumbs, he could live with anyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't mean to sound disrespectful to anybody who is Transgender. I am FtM Myself. I wanted to write a Transgender fic for a very long time to depict my own struggle with coming out and perhaps help others too. I hope you like this. By the way, the starting scene is based on the Pilot episode if you are wondering. 
> 
>  
> 
> I do hope my writing skill will improve as this Fan-fic progresses.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These A.N's seem to be quite frequent. Once again, I do not mean to offend anybody or create stereotypes for Transgender youth. I hope you can understand that. I am a member or LGBT Youth Scotland and I believe that everybody has their own story – this story just so happens to be LOOSELY based on my own story of realising who I was. If there are terms I use in this fanfic that confuse you, feel free to message me.

Hours later Sherlock had cleared away some of the belongings that were scattered across the sitting room floor, he wanted to use his armchair and convincing Julia to tidy up for him was a lost cause. He had tried calling her but she had heard music blaring through her headphones upstairs. Mrs Hudson wasn't at home currently either. Giving up he decided that he would have to do it himself. The majority of items that blocked the path were books, stacked untidily into clusters that spread to his beloved arm chair and made mobility across the room difficult. He had begun piling them onto shelves. Most of them did not even belong to him. Julia was an avid reader so why wasn't she the one doing it? He smirked and noted that Julia was much like himself when he was a child: Willing to make the mess but unwilling to clear up afterwards. Mycroft could not help but constantly remind him that Sherlock, much to Julia's amusement, wanted to be a pirate when he was younger. He stroked the spine of the book in his hands gently, brushing off the dust and remembering the exact day he had bought the book for Julia.

" _ **Treasure Island."**_

Even now, when on his cases he still could feel the inner child pining for adventure.

Slotting the book into a crevice on the bookshelf Sherlock admired his handy work. That was all the books out of the way. He made himself comfortable in his armchair and steepled his hands under his chin. He could successfully enter his mind palace now that he was comfortable. His thoughts focussed on the recent 'suicides.' Three in a row, with the same drug and no signs of depression of any sort. The people did not know each other yet there must be a connection, there always was. His thoughts continued to argue with him – If they are murders, then how did the killer get them to take the pill? Lestrade had not been in contact and this angered him. It wouldn't be too long before somebody else died and while Sherlock tried to cut himself off from feelings, he could not help but imagine his daughter being one of those victims. She was definitely his pressure point. He hated having pressure points.

xXxXxXxXx

Julia let out a breath of relief as she finished the conclusion of her essay. That bloody teacher of hers wanted a 2,000 word long persuasive essay on a subject of her choice. She had no clue what to write about. Everybody else had already begun writing about "Abortion" and "Footballers Wages" when the task was assigned. How dull.  _Who honestly cares how much soldiers and footballers get paid?_ She thought. Eventually thought she had decided on an appropriate subject close to her heart.

Her eyes scanned the document on her laptop, ensuring everything was spelled correctly and grammatically sound. It did not take her long to write it. In fact she could have written a three volume novel collection if she had the choice. Her last task was simply writing a title. She put herself in his mind set for a brief second and she managed to come up with an idea.

" **Stupidity exists in mankind more than it should"**

The essay itself was Julia's meticulous deductions of the human race and how intelligence standards are pathetically low. Perhaps her father would find it interesting. They were both similar in ways in which Julia did not want to think about. Satisfied that her essay was to a decent standard, she printed a copy out and set it aside. She placed her USB pen drive back into her pocket and felt something prodding against her fingers. Upon inspection she realised that it was the business card that Tracy had given her earlier. Curious she typed in the web address to the woman's website. She saw a link to the word "Transgender" and clicked on it, unsure of what she was going to see. She had a vague idea from what she had learned in class that day. All she really knew though was that there were people who's gender identity did not identify with the sex they were born with. It made her think a great deal.

She was always unsure as to why she loathed her body so much. She had spent her whole life trying to figure out what was wrong with her. Since a young age even the thought of a dress made her cringe. She didn't want to grow up, find a man and wear a beautiful wedding dress and have babies. She wanted to be like her father, solving crimes, feeling the blood pumping through her veins, experiencing some action. When her best friends played fancy dress, she was never the princess, she didn't want to have golden locks with a tiara. She wanted to be the prince, the hero, the knight. Thinking back on her life..when  _did_  Julia act feminine? She shook her head. No, she couldn't possibly be.. _Shut up._

Julia drummed her fingers on her desk when she read things she did not understand.

" _What the hell is a Trans* Umbrella?"_  She whispered aloud.

There was a vast amount of terminology that even her father wouldn't understand. Opening up another tab, she brought up her email account and typed in the email address Tracy had provided her, determined for a proper explanation. Her mind flashed back to when she was on the tube.

"If you ever need to talk.."

 _Emailing is talking, isn't it?_ Julia didn't want to have to do this but Tracy seemed to be the only person that could help her with her confusion.

**It's Julia from the tube. I need to talk. There are some things I am confused about.**

**JH**

Keeping it brief, she sent the message and collected her essay. She needed a second opinion before she handed it in. It was late so she would go to bed after giving it to him, listening to his view in the morning.

" _Dad!"_ She called, leaving her room and closing the door behind her. She had an en suite bathroom but apart from that and her bedroom, the only other room upstairs was the guest room. She assumed that if John was to move in, he would have that room. When her father did not reply she descended the stairs tripping over a box of junk and stumbling into the living room rather unceremoniously. Sherlock was flat on his back, lying on the couch at the end of the room, breathing in heavily with his hands in a teepee under his chin. He barely noticed she had arrived.  _Mind Palace.._

" _How many patches this time?"_ Julia asked, unsurprised. Approaching him and sitting on the arm of the couch. He rolled up his sleeves, revealing one patch.

" _Just the one."_ He replied with a smirk. He sat up, swinging his legs around and looking to his daughter. " _What do you want?"_

" _I thought that would be obvious to you."_ She joked, yet she knew to never joke around Sherlock Holmes like that. Chuckling she presented him with her essay.

He started deducing her and Julia let him. She secretly loved seeing how clever he was. He looked at her hands, school bag is upstairs so she has brought her essay here for a reason. Her attention is mainly focussed towards him and she looks tired. She is not making herself comfortable so she intends to return upstairs soon. He took the essay from her grasp and nodded - answering her unspoken question. " _I'll have read it by tomorrow."_ A smile crept up at his lips when he read the title. " _You should print off a copy for Anderson."_

" _Now that is a good idea."_ The girl murmured, amused, combing her hair with her fingers. It was getting far too long. Sherlock probably wouldn't care if she cut it all off, she had indeed contemplated it many times. What would the kids at school say though? She'd be an even bigger punch bag for them if she did that. If her hair was short she would look even more like her father, they already had matching eyes and smile, their body language was always very similar too. The thought didn't bother her like it would to other children. In fact, she seemed to like the concept of it.

" _Dad, I'm going to bed now, goodnight."_ Julia stated, breaking out of her reverie. She kissed his cheek to annoy him and walked towards the living room door before he could get his revenge. She didn't trip over this time. Sherlock waved her off and began reading. At last a subject which was interesting.

They really were too alike for their own good.


	4. Chapter 4

" _Morning dad."_

A very tired Julia called, walking almost as though she were a zombie into the front room. Her hair had been pulled into a messy braid and her tie hung loosely around her neck. She scanned the room wearily to find her mobile phone. She had forgotten to take it up to her room last night and feared the texts she'd receive. Some students had gotten her contact details somehow and were tormenting her once again. She wondered if Mycroft had seen them, he practically had an iron grip on her to compensate for Sherlock's careless attitude. He was practically the British government so he could surely have enough power to intercept her texts? It wouldn't be the first time. IF he had seen them, he obviously didn't think it was a serious matter. The very thought only made Julia feel worse.

" _Your essay. It was very good."_ Sherlock's voice boomed out from the newspaper he was reading. He gestured his head to his desk where the sheet of paper lay. His smile was proud and even slightly affectionate.

" _Thanks."_ She tried to say through a yawn.

Julia's feet padded across the floor to where she had left her blazer hanging on the back of the other arm chair the night before. Her hands reached into her pocket where she collected her mobile phone. She had a few missed calls and several texts. Her stomach clenched as she browsed through them.

**-Jules, where did you go after school? - Peter**

**\- There have been rumours.**

**\- Jules answer us!**

**-Babe, Kerry has it out for you. apparently you were bitching to her on the tube. Stay safe. - Courtney**

**-Facebook. Now. I've only messaged you ten times.**

**-Please tell me you have just forgotten to check your phone again baby. - Paul**

**You think you can get away with that, you little Tranny? We are coming after you and this time that woman wont be there to help you. [Unknown number]**

Julia felt the warmth vanish from her body. She was used to threats but this was something different. They had directly contacted her once again. This time threatening to harm her. Shaking she plugged her phone into it's charger. Fear enveloped her and she genuinely wished she did not have to go to school today. The text that the unknown contact had sent played on her mind. Who knows what was going to happen to her. Realising that her friends must be worried to the core, she began the type the message that she would sent to everybody.

**I am fine, I had left my phone in my jacket last night. Was too distracted by that bloody essay. I'm sorry if I worried you. I'll explain everything later. JH**

Leaving her phone to charge, she carefully started to pack her school bag, folding the essay carefully and placing it between two books. When she had finished she switched the television on to watch shows that she had no interest in. Sherlock barely passed a glance at her. Clad in his pyjamas under this blue robe, he clearly hadn't long woken up himself. He was drinking a cup of tea and was occupied with the latest headline on the newspaper. Yet another story about the suicides. His patience was waning and he wondered when Lestrade would eventually ask him for his help. For the next half-hour the intelligent detective noticed the jerky movements of his daughter. The way she carried herself meant he could read her like a book. Usually she would eat breakfast before packing her bag, meaning that something was clearly on her mind. Yet completely forgetting to eat was something else. Unlike Sherlock, Julia liked to eat regularly, so forgetting to do so stressed obvious signs of anxiety. The rigid way in which she sat did not do her justice either. Clearly she was not watching the television. When she needed to leave Sherlock finally decided to speak.

" _What's wrong Julia?"_ He asked her, watching her lace up her boots and slip her blazer on. She turned to him defensively, feigning a smile, straightening her tie and collecting her mobile from the kitchen counter-top.

" _I'm fine."_ She said, almost too quickly. Setting the newspaper down, her father clasped his hands together, narrowing his eyes and standing up. Julia hated that look, the one where he knew when she was being untruthful. Why was Sherlock only just paying attention to her feelings now?

" _You are obviously anxious, the way you behave confirms that, The way you didn't eat – "_

" _Dad."_ Julia cut him off. " _You've never once paid attention to my feelings. Don't pretend you actually care. You're only doing this to prove how clever you are."_ She breathed through her teeth. Sherlock's gaze did not falter at all. Julia walked out the door, unapologetically firing him a hurt look. She wished that just once, her father would be human enough to care. When she had left Sherlock held his hands to her face, letting out a long breath.

 _Caring is not an advantage._ He reminded himself. Julia was wrong. He did care, yet he had no idea how to act on it. His phone started to ring on the coffee table and Sherlock did not even need to check to know exactly who it was. He collected it and answered it after several rings.

" _Brother dear."_ He said, speaking dully.

" _Julia will not be going to school today."_ The voice on the other end of the line spoke.

" _You have plans with her, I presume."_

" _I sent Anthea to collect her, there are matters I must discuss with her."_

" _Mycroft, why not after school?"_ Sherlock asked, frustrated. He disliked the power that his brother had. He unpredictable behaviour was what he loathed more though.

" _That is not relevant to you currently."_ Mycroft replied, speaking as though Sherlock was a child. Trying to keep calm Sherlock took a few moments before replying.

" _She is my child, of course it is relevent."_

" _An incident has come to light. Now do forgive me, She has arrived. I'm sure she will inform you in due course."_

" _Mycroft!"_

" _Goodbye, Brother mine."_

" _I_ _t was a pleasure to talk to you_. _"_ Sherlock replied, voice laced with sarcasm.

xXxXxXx

" _Afternoon dear."_ Mrs Hudson called to Sherlock as he bounded into the landing, he was bored. Very bored. He refused to think of what Julia had said earlier about him not truly caring. He had tried talking to his skull but he felt that the conversation was thin. He had tried throwing his knife at various photographs of people he disliked but he didn't want to ruin the wall. He had even made an attempt to watch television but the low IQ of some people was simply painful to watch. He eventually decided experimenting on some bodies at the morgue. All he needed to do was use his charm on Molly.

" _Off out Mrs Hudson, I will be back in a few hours with my potential new flat mate."_ He smiled, wrapping his scarf around his neck and slipping his famous coat on. He habitually ruffled his hair and approached the front door. Mrs Hudson, carrying a tea-tray at that moment nodded her head, unable to wave him off.

" _I hope he is nice, have a good day, love."_ She smiled, shuffling back to cafe.


	5. Chapter 5

Furious, Julia left the flat. Her father really was an idiot sometimes. He only ever cared to his advantage and it hurt her a lot. Maybe her mother would have been better for her. She had never met her before but she knew of the basic story of how she ended up with Sherlock. To this day she wondered what her mother would think of her now – A teen-ager so confused with who they are that they are even doubting their own gender. Ignoring all the prying thoughts she continued to make her way to the Underground. Her phone vibrated twice in her pocket. Curious she read the texts:

**Don't move. Anthea will be there shortly.. MH**

**I must discuss something with you. You are excused from school today. MH**

A Sigh of relief escaped her lips. Thank god. Kerry will just have to wait. Hopefully her friends would not be worried. She smiled when the black car came to a halt beside Speedy's Cafe. Anthea opened the door to let her in. It was good to see her. However after trying several attempts to say hello, she gave up, noting that the older woman was more interested in her mobile phone. When Julia's phone vibrated once again in her pocket, she noticed that she had an email alert. Of course, she had forgotten that she had contacted Tracy last night. The reply was short but, hell, so was the original message,

**I'd love to talk to you, so glad you contacted me. I am free tomorrow night, let me know when and where you would like to meet.**

**Tracy.**

Julia was warming up to this woman already. _Maybe she wouldn't be so confused after all._

_xXxXxXx_

_"Well, this could be very nice. Very nice indeed."_

John stated as they surveyed the room. He liked what he saw. Sherlock still had half of his belongings filling up any empty cavity. From what Sherlock could deduce, John was an army doctor, home from Afghanistan due to injury and that his limp was in fact psychosomatic. He also appeared to have a brother called Harry who was a recovering alcoholic, he had also recently left his wife. John was still bemused at how Sherlock had known so much about him. Yet the detective could not have researched him, one vital piece of information that Sherlock had deduced was in fact wrong. John had a sister and Harry was short for Harriet.

" _So I went straight ahead and moved in."_

" _Soon as we get all this rubbish cleaned out ... Oh."_

They both spoke simultaneously. John kicked himself inwardly and Sherlock began making a half-hearted attempt to clear his things from the room, putting things into boxes and moving things around on his desk to create the illusion of a tidier room. " _Well, obviously I can, um, straighten things up a bit."_

Sherlock placed some enveloped on the mantel piece and stabbed his retractable knife into the mahogany surface.

" _That's a skull.."_ John pointed out, concerned that Sherlock seemed to behave in such a casual manner.

" _Friend of mine."_ He quipped with a wry smile, he heard the front door open and close. Then footsteps clomping loudly on each step. Julia, bad mood, tired – Leave her to calm down, he deduced. " _When I say friend.."_

" _Who was that?"_ John asked, nodding towards the sitting room door. Sherlock noticed that John was standing perfectly upright, his legs were not shaking and he did not seem too been in pain. Definitely not a real limp. As if on cue, John collected a cushion from Sherlock's belongings and placed it onto an armchair. He settled himself down, resting his leg. Sherlock approached the window that over-looked Baker Street, peeled back the curtain and managed to catch a glimpse of his brother's car turning a corner. He despised Mycroft's meddling. He was curious as to what he had done this time to anger Julia.

" _My daughter, Julia."_ He answered. His voice was blunt and monotonous. John combed his fingers through his wispy hair thoughtfully. He remembered the girl he had seen the previous day. The memory of her hair getting caught in her satchel strap and the way she stumbled out of the room in such a boisterous fashion was certainly something he could not forget easily. The striking contrast between the two seemed to be the first thing he had noticed. He could not possibly imagine the man standing in front of him to be so clumsy. When John heard the door slam upstairs he raised his eye brows. Sherlock waved his hand dismissively and uncaringly. " _She will be fine."_

John felt a little concerned at the detective's attitude. The child was obviously upset. Perhaps it was one of those things he would need to get used to – Maybe Julia always behaved this way. He tried to think back to what his sister was like when she was younger. However the memories only comprised of arguments and watching on as his family disowned and severed any attachment to her right before his eyes. John was the only family to accept Harriet for who she was. He scarpered away from the moments of pain that existed in his memory and bit the inside of his cheek. Julia was probably simply suffering from stroppy teenager syndrome. Noticing his withdrawn expression, Sherlock eyed him curiously but did not think to ask.

Mrs Hudson shuffled into the room carrying a teacup. Placing it in front of Sherlock who gave her a gratuitous smile of approval.

" _Ah, thank you."_ He said. Mrs Hudson placed her hands sternly on her hips and looked at the detective with indignation visible in her eyes and across her face. It took a simple glance for Sherlock to deduce why she was annoyed with him. " _Yes, I know you are not my housekeeper."_ He began, prepared for another lecture on how the land lady existence was not for making tea and cleaning the flat.

" _That is not what I am angry at you for, Oh…"_ She calmed her voice when Julia walked into the room. Giving up she bustled over to the teenager and hugged her for a few moments. A small smile and a tender reciprocation of the hug was enough to reassure Mrs Hudson that the girl was in fact okay. She had changed out of her uniform in the time that she was upstairs and her anger seemed to have dissipated. Sherlock barely cast a glance from the window. He then walked away and started pacing across the room. John nodded and waved with two fingers in his way of greeting Julia. Mrs Hudson anticipated that she would have to make tea, she always made the girl tea when she was upset. Casting a glance towards John, she made her own deduction.

" _What do you think, then, Doctor Watson? There's another bedroom upstairs if you'll be needing two bedrooms_." She asked him, confident about the connection she had made as though it was obvious. Julia could not help but giggle when she sat down, pulling her laptop from down the side of the couch. Sherlock silenced her with a glare but he was obviously smirking. She was still annoyed at him, but it seemed that the shared gaze was a silent truce. She beamed back at him and turned her attention back to her Laptop.

" _Of course we'll be needing two."_ John said defensively, a little too quickly. The older woman got the wrong end of the stick obviously. Sherlock did not show any effort to correct her. It was somewhat amusing to watch the Doctor squirm. Mrs Hudson waved her hands slightly as she turned the kettle on.

" _Oh, don't worry; there's all sorts round here Mrs Turner next door's got married ones."_

Her voice had turned to a whisper as she finished her sentence. Julia rolled her eyes at the kind woman, this wasn't the first time she had thought Sherlock as being homosexual, despite the very fact that he had fathered a daughter.

" _Oh, Sherlock. The mess you've made. You too Julia."_ Mrs Hudson complained, surveying the room.

" _Hey at least my books aren't all over the place anymore."_ Julia defended herself, looking innocently from the computer screen. Sherlock grabbed the bow from his nearby violin and prodded her in the nose. The rosin on the fibres smelled strange and the horse hair made her upper lip twitch. A sneeze threatened to come along.

" _And who was the one who tidied them away?"_ He asked sternly with false annoyance in his voice. Julia held her hands up in surrender.

" _Fine – Fine!"_

She then sneezed and moved her laptop to the cushion next to her. Julia made her way to the bathroom to get a tissue to blow her nose. She was always partially allergic to horse hairs. Sherlock really was oblivious to simple things.

" _You are as worse as each other."_ Mrs Hudson remarked, chuckling to herself, going into the kitchen to make tea, passing Julia as she returned to her seat on the sofa. When the woman disappeared John spoke up. He had been watching to scene in front of him and found it quite amusing.

" _I looked you up on the internet last night."_

" _Anything interesting?"_ Sherlock asked, looking up from the paperwork on his desk. Julia had pulled her mobile out of her pocket. She unlocked it to find yet another text that she hadn't read yet. Sherlock inwardly groaned in annoyance. That camera phone is like a third arm to that girl.  _  
_

" _Found your website, The Science of Deduction"_

" _What did you think?"  
_

Sherlock smiled proudly to himself, his face deflated when John eyed him sceptically. He looked slightly hurt, his work was his life and he even considered himself to be married to it. Julia always felt like Sherlock out work first before even his daughter. Her father barely knew her and it hurt Julia a lot.

" _You said you could identify a software designer by his tie and an airline pilot by his left thumb."_

" _I can read your military career in your face and your leg, and your brother's drinking habits in your mobile phone."_ He tried to impress John. Julia suddenly looked at Sherlock strangely. He had missed a deduction that she had managed to catch and she loved it when that happened.

" _Sister, dad."_ She piped up, sharing a triumphant smile with John. Disappointed, yet confused Sherlock turned to face his daughter.  _How did she manage to figure that one out?_ Taking a deep breath his eyes locked with John's in an intense stare. Yet no matter how hard he tried, he could figure out where Julia's deduction came from.

" _The way his body hitches whenever you used the word "brother" Also, a micro-emotion, a very small smile that happens for a fraction of second suggest he is pleased about something. More likely pleased that you got something wrong. Human nature."_ She smirked. Julia had always been talented in reading people and their emotions. A talent in which he was proud yet envious of her. Sherlock did not understand people as well as he should, always saying the wrong things and hurting people in the process.

" _Oh yes, I see it now."_ He lied. Julia winked at John who looked at her bewildered. He felt slightly out of place in the presence of these two.

Julia felt her phone buzz again. Perhaps she really should just read the texts. She knew that they were not from her friends. She had called them earlier explaining the situation and she had different vibration patterns for each contact on her mobile. Unlocking the screen she tapped on the first text.

**You can run, but you can't hide. [Unknown contact]**

" _I'm going to my room."_ She stated, her voice suddenly thick and heavy with dread.

" _Are you okay?"_ John asked her, knowing that Sherlock wasn't going to. Julia dismissively waved a hand in his direction and left the room.

" _I'm fine."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to be clear, I'm not intentionally making Sherlock out to be an arse hole. He does care about his daughter but he finds it difficult to show it.


	6. Chapter 6

**I will meet you at the tube station where we met, we can decide where we are going once we arrive. Perhaps 7pm?**

**JH**

Julia sent the email without a second thought. She had stupidly left her laptop down stairs in her upset and now wished she hadn't. She refused to think about the incriminating text message that she had received. Instead she tilted her head, looked across her room as she lay on her bed. Her body curled up into a small ball. The pillow felt comforting against her skin. On her bedside cabinet was a photograph of her and her father. One of those rare occasions where Sherlock smiled for other people. It was taken on Christmas years ago when Julia was only seven years old. Even then she loathed anything girly. She donned a long blue dress with frills, she was beaming at the camera but she was so obviously feeling tormented. Sherlock had a firm hand wrapped around her dainty frame and his cheek was pressed to her own. He really was a big softie at the best of times. They both shared the same eye colour and curled hair, they also seemed to smirk in a similar fashion. Julia had a secret wish of being like her father when she was older. She was an intelligent child, it was no secret, but her fear was that everybody would silently be judging her. They always did. Grazing the glass of the frame with her finger, she closed her eyes. That was the last time she had ever worn a dress. It was taken at Sherlock's family home. Violet Holmes – Sherlock's mother – had insisted on Julia wearing the ghastly thing at least once during the holiday season. She never made the mistake again. She was close to Julia and spoiled her rotten when she could, everybody did, even Mycroft. Sherlock was never one to surprise her with gifts, if she needed something, he would buy it, but that was all. He didn't understand the concept of unexpected presents. In the background there was a large stack of them, but Julia remembered the best gift she had received that year: Her own, child-sized coat similar to her fathers, he had even bought her a detective kit comprising of a magnifying glass and petri dishes. She still had them kept away to this very day.

Julia would receive one every year from her father, almost like a family tradition – it was his way of saying that she was intelligent enough to be him one day. She would wear it on cases, it helped her to think in the right mind-set. She was a Holmes, and nobody questioned it.

Another photo was much more recent. It must have been taken when she was twelve because she was wearing her high school blazer. She was perched on the edge of the duck pond in the nearby park. Sherlock had to see to a case that was focussed in the aggression of swans. He had let Julia tag along thinking she was simply going to feed the animals. She was very wrong. Out of nowhere, Sherlock had thrown a stone into the water sending ripples out for miles, and a swan into hysteria. He watched as the swan chased after Julia, causing her to run off in another direction screaming loudly as it flapped its snowy wings. She returned later with flushed red cheeks and a grin on Sherlock that simply said ' _I will never let you live that down."_

Ever since she had, she possessed the most terrible fear of swans. She had no idea why she kept the photograph. Whenever she moved it, Sherlock always put it back. She resorted to slamming it on its front so she wouldn't have to look at it again. He could be so cruel to people when working on a case. It was no wonder she wasn't so close to him. The photo saddened her too, it was a time before the bullying, before the way she wanted to be affected her life as badly as it did. The time where she and her father began drifting apart. She caught a glance of her reflection in the mirror across from her bed.

_What am I?_

Julia needed to relax, there was nothing wrong with her. She was just a tomboy, yes, a tomboy:

_Then why don't you like your body?_

_My body is too feminine_

_Would you rather have a boy's body?_

_No..I don't..I don't know.._

_Why don't you like doing typically female things?_

_There are other girls who don't do them either_

_Yes but they hurt you, you don't feel it is right even when it is something simple using public toilets._

Her conscience reminded her of Smeagle from the lord of the Rings trilogy. It always argued with her and tried to reason too much.

_Shut up._

She squeezed her eyes tightly and tried to blot out rational though. She was a Holmes, she could not behave like this. She could not have weaknesses.

She REALLY needed to relax. Grabbing the first thing in reach, just so happening to be her Ipod, she placed the headphones over her ears and let the melodic harmonies flow. For a while she would be able to forget the anxiety rotting away in her stomach. She smiled when her favourite song came on. It was reassuring and made her feel happy. It made her feel like she truly was not alone.  **\- I'll stand by you: The Pretenders.** Lolling her head back on the pillow she let her mind flow and her body relax as she entered her mind palace.

* * *

The conversation with Mycroft she had endured was, while comforting, was also in a sense degrading. She had forgotten she was supposed to be a Holmes. She was apparentely not supposed to care about a large group of bullies threatening to harm her. It was not life threatening so Mycroft felt as though she was making too large a fuss. However, he wanted to ensure his niece would be safe and if Kerry was a pressure point, he would need to do something about it.

 _"_ _Caring is not an advantage"_ He would say.

Raindrops pattered deftly against the wind screens of the car Julia was being transported had been cloudy all morning so it was hardly surprising when the first drop fell. She couldn't help but admire the fact that Mycroft had texted her. He must have remembered her dislike of answering phone calls. When she departed the vehicle she was led towards her Uncles office by Anthea. Her arms covered her head to protect her from the rain. Unlike her Uncle, she never did carry an umbrella with her. When they were safely inside, they approached the the door labelled by a golden plate with the words:

**"Mycroft Holmes."**

Julia knocked and a voice called for them to enter. His voice was strained and he sounded as though something was plaguing his mind. Upon walking into the office the two women were greeted by the older Holmes brother. He was sitting hunched over his desk, hands thoughtfully underneath his chin. His elbows rested in the table and he nodded towards his shuffled away knowingly. When Mycroft was alone with Julia he gestured for her to sit. She did so silently, removing her blazer as it was damp.

 _"_ _I understand you have been recieving..certain text messages_ _and as my brother is yet to be in the knowledge of them, I must discuss it with you._ _"_ He lifted the teapot that was on his desk.  _"_ _Tea?"_

Julia shook her head briskly and played with her thumbs. She brushed some hair from her forehead and the nodded to his previous question. Mycroft glared at her knowingly yet he seemed disappointed by her withered facial expression. He set the teapot back on the place-mat and clasped his hands together.

 _"_ _Yes, I am almost glad that I did not go to school today."_ She admitted, ashamed but unafraid. Mycroft's expression hardened. She knew straight away this conversation would be over before it began. He sipped from his teacup, his patience waning. Julia could swear those moments were painfully slow. When he finally spoke, he sounded like his usual cold, stuck-up, arrogant self.

_"_ _Julia, must I remind you that you are a Holmes. We do not..fear..such ridiculous things."_

_"It is not simply one person, dear uncle. Kerry knows how to push my buttons. She WILL use_ _t_ _hat to her advantage."_

Mycroft stiffened at the implication in those words. Everybody had a pressure point. If it was used correctly, it could bring down many people at once. Julia was Sherlock's pressure point, and Sherlock was Mycroft's. It would be a drastic domino effect that could put everybody to a certain degree of vulnerability. He started to write down notes, small pieces of information he would pass on to Sherlock's homeless network, as well as his surveillance crew.

" _Well, I shall see to it that it does not happen, shall we?"_ He wavered for a moment, wanting to ask her about the derogitory term used by Kerry. He had tried to make a deduction from the knowledge he had on that sort of thing. However it was limited and he saught to ask instead. He had heard people in that category are not all in the same situation. " _Are you..?"_

" _I don't know..In all honesty, I do not know what is going on with me. I am going to be talking to a youth worker tomorrow evening"_

Her answer was the most honest it could be. Mycroft respected her answer and then cleared his throat. This was new territory for him, he could not imagine how Sherlock would react if Julia was even remotely anything other than a girl.

" _Julia, You must know. Your father and I care a great deal for you. We will support you whatever you decide to do with yourself and the life you live. I'm afraid your father finds it difficult to understand anything out of his comfort zone. Give him time."_

_"He never asked me why I stopped studying at school during my free periods...He hardly ever notices when I'm upset."_

Mycroft gave her a look that almost made her feel stupid. When she was a child he would look at her disapprovingly when she was being silly. Right now she felt like that in front of him. He always seemed to find a way to come out of an argument as right.

" _Julia, surely you should know by now that your father fails to observe even the most simple of things. I trust you know that your father had absolutely no assistance from your mother when you were born?"_

Julia Nodded. She never had met her mother. In fact she didn't even know what she looked like. Sherlock did not want to cause any accidental meetups in the street by chance. It could cause a lot of problems if it happened. She was unsure if it was because he cared for her or if he simply did not want trouble. In truth she never wanted to see her, she never could forgive her mother when she found out that when she was a new-born, she had been abandoned on a doorstep in the freezing cold. Her mother had called her "It" and Julia did not realise the gravity of those words until recently when everybody else started calling her that word.

" _Then you must know that your father is simply inexperienced in this sort of thing. Raising a child alone was not an easy task for him. He does care about you. He would do anything to ensure your safety. All I ask is that you give him time._ _"_

Julia felt a pang of guilt for thinking things about her father, it made sense in a way. She resorted to trying to isolate herself less from him. She hoped that after her visit with Tracy she would have a clearer understanding of things. She noticed that Mycroft was hovering beside the office door and she knew that she had over-stayed her welcome. He pulled her into an awkward hug as they approached each other. He was a complete and utter Dick head, but he did have a caring side. She couldn't ask for a better uncle. He watched her slip her blazer on, still slightly damp but manageable. 

" _Now go, enjoy the rest of your day. I have important matters to attend to - "_ He gestured towards the notes he had made earlier. " _Anthea will accompany you on your journey, is there anywhere you wish to go?"_

Julia needed some air. After half an hour of being cooped up in a stuffy office, she needed to feel the freshness of the wind across her face. She took a breath and answered her uncle.  _"The park, I need to go on a long walk. I know you will keep an eye on me in case something happens."_

" _I will see that it is done."_ He remarked as they left the office together.

* * *

Hours later, Julia was still walking, It felt good to be out and about. She memorised all the hide out spots of people she loathed and took great precaution in avoiding them. Somehow she had been successful all day. She had eaten lunch in a cafe far away from the school and instead of taking the tube, she would walk to new destinations, exploring London. Her father had once said when she was little that knowing where everything is could prove extremely useful in cases. To this day she still found herself discovering new buildings, and parks, and roads, and estates. It was all very fascinating to her. She had passed some of the older case sites where she had witnessed horrific things when she was younger. It was no wonder that blood and violence didn't bother her at all. Not until the bullying started. She still had not told her father that she was being bullied. If you were to ask her why, she'd be unable to answer you.

It was hours later before Julia finally decided to saunter home. She checked the time on her camera phone:  **6:47pm**

She also noticed she had received yet another text. Again from an unknown number. Her fingers clenched around the phone. This time she was angry _._ Extremely so.

_So much for that bloody stuck up ponce of an uncle I happen to share blood with protecting me!_

Choosing to ignore whatever the message said, Julia stormed her way back to Baker street. She felt like what she had said to her uncle earlier had fallen on deaf ears. No wonder Sherlock hates him...

She was stopped when a voice called out her name. Growling through her teeth she turned around to see a familiar face. It only pissed her off more. 

 


	7. Chapter 7

A knock on the bedroom door diverted Julia's attention from her music. She suddenly became very aware of her surroundings and wondered how long she had been in her Mind Palace for. Carefully she removed the headphones from her ears. Sherlock flounced into the room unceremoniously, without permission. Hooked by his left arm, was Julia's laptop and in his other hand was a large mug of tea. He placed the cup gently on the nightstand, a smile twitching at his lips when he saw the photo frame facing downwards. He quickly lifted it to its rightful position and laid the laptop on the edge of Julia's bed. The girl was still in foetal position and flopped onto her back in exasperation when Sherlock made himself comfortable on the edge of the mattress. She eyed him cautiously. He was wearing his coat and his scarf was half tied around his neck. The buttons had not been fastened – Like he had thrown it on in a hurry and was then distracted.

" _Mrs Hudson wanted me to bring you your cup of tea."_ He explained.

" _Hmm."_ She murmured thoughtfully.  _That explains the distraction…_

Julia clambered to her knees and crawled over to where her father was now sitting. I was a clear sign he needed to talk to her. She lifted the mug and sipped it suspiciously, it was still hot. Mrs Hudson had just turned the kettle on when she had departed the living room, she can't have been upstairs long then. The mug radiated heat that was soothing against her cold fingers. Sherlock wrapped an awkward arm around her shoulders and ruffled her hair. He was unused to giving comfort. He took John's previous concern about her anger earlier into account and lifted the girl's cheek to look at him directly. He wanted to ask her what happened earlier but she spoke before he had the opportunity.

" _Need I ask where you are going?"_ She asked, moving her head away and returning the cup to the night-stand. She tugged softly on his scarf and tried to avert her eyes from his questioning gaze. He looked down and began buttoning his coat up, removing his arm from his daughter's shoulders to make it easier. His collar was turned up and that's when Julia knew he was on a case. It was a something he did habitually and he thought nobody had noticed.

" _Lestrade. He finally realised that he needed me for this case."_

" _Why now?"_ Julia asked, half regretting asking the question. She knew Shrelock could break into deductions at any given time and she truly was not ready for her intelligence to be diminished.

" _There's been a fourth. This time they left a note."_ He answered, a hint of excitement evident in his voice. This actually interested Julia. They had been pondering about the case for a weeks now. Perhaps the note would confirm both of their suspicions that they were in fact murders and not suicides. Sherlock's smile dissipated in the blink of an eye.

" _John and I will be out for a few hours, you will need to make your own dinner."_

Julia nodded knowingly, still bemused that Sherlock had finally been asked to help out. She brushed her hair over her ear and looked into his eyes. She was incredibly bored, she needed something to distract her. She had no homework to catch-up on and wanted to avoid social networking until Mycroft had uncovered who was sending her those texts. The immediate assumption was that Kerry was the culprit. Yet, she did not seem like the type to attack her physically. Normally her spotty pet would do it when he thought that he was alone with Julia. The whole matter was confusing and she hoped Sherlock would invite her along to help divert her attention for a while. He replied to her unanswered question with a pat on the back.

" _Not this time Julia, I need you to be here tonight in case something happens. You know how these cases can be. Besides, Anderson will be there…"_ He added the last bit on the end in his attempt to break it easier to Julia, but they both shared a mutual hatred for the man.

She smiled weakly in disappointment. She thought of the texts she received earlier - Maybe going out was not safe anyway. She had no idea if Mycroft had made any arrangements yet or not. Even if she was with Sherlock, she still felt terrified to go out into dangerous territory.

" _Okay dad."_ She whispered distantly. Sherlock sensed to sadness in her tone and voiced the lingering question that had been on his mind since the morning. He instinctively pulled her closer. She stiffened but relaxed after a few moments.

" _What did my brother want with you?"_ He asked her, his baritone voice making her shudder as it grazed her ear. It sounded so rich compared to her own. She licked her lips and tried to think of a decent yet convincing response, Sherlock was oblivious to many things, but he certainly was not an idiot. When she still had not replied he urged her to reply again. " _Julia."_

She sensed he was in a hurry and didn't want his thoughts on the matter to distract him from the case. She answered truthfully in a sense.

" _The child of one of his acquaintances was constantly being attacked by other students at my school, he was simply wondering if I knew anything about it."_

Sherlock seemed convinced, Mycroft usually went to extremes to gain information he could easily grasp at appropriate times. He remembered what he had wanted to ask earlier, there must be a connection between Mycroft interrogating Julia and her mood when returning home hours later.

" _Is that why you were angry when you returned home?"_

Julia closed her eyes and breathed through her nose. Again she would have to think quickly – Was it a Holmes trait to ask bloody annoying questions?

" _Yes, the idiot only spoke to me for half an hour and I missed a whole day of school because of it. I ended up going on a walk and coming home when it was starting to get dark outside."_

" _Then why did I see Mycroft's car outside the flat as soon as you arrived home?"_ Sherlock pressed, bleeding her dry just like he always did. Anything Mycroft did resulted in this. The rivalry between them was pathetic. Neither of them achieved anything from it.

" _You're not the only one with a homeless network it seems. Somebody informed Uncle of where I was, he assumed I was up to no good. Next thing I knew it I was being driven home weather I liked it or not."_

That part was answered truthfully. She remembered a voice calling her name and turning in terror thinking it was student from her school. Then she remembered the relief she felt when she found it was somebody who obviously worked for Mycroft. However she also still felt the pissed off feeling that consumed her when the iconic black car showed up almost from nowhere. Had this man been following her the whole time it took Mycroft to send somebody out to her? She shook the memory from her mind and removed herself from her father's grasp. She collected the tea once again and sipped at it to avoid more questions.

Sherlock nodded, placing a hand to his lip and standing up. He had other questions but they could wait. Straightening his coat he nodded curtly.

" _Alright."_ He replied. " _Behave for Mrs Hudson."_

Julia rolled her eyes. She was not a child anymore.

" _I will."_

With another nod Sherlock slipped out of the room, thundering down the staircase as he went to join John. The man was insane, you'd think he was a five year old on Christmas morning. It was surprising that the potential flat mate had lasted so long. Smiling contently, Julia finished her tea and relaxed on her back again. There was nothing like a good cuppa when feeling like the world is against you. She tried to hide the thought of attending school the next day. It had been creeping up on her all evening. However she also remembered that Tracy was going to be meeting her soon and it gave her a significant level of reassurance. Just another day until she could finally understand who she really was... It was a relaxing prospect.

" _Welcome to the crazy world of Sherlock Holmes, Dr Watson."_


	8. Chapter 8

The Holmes family were renown for their complete inability to sit still for more than five minutes. It had been just over an hour since Julia had heard the front door open and close and the voices disappear from the living room - She was already mind-numbingly bored. She honestly needed to do something interesting before her sanity rotted her brain to the core. The majority of her time had been spent listening to music, then reading an English text all about love and romance and all things beautiful - how incredibly dull. She feigned interest purely for academical purposes. The concept of relationships beyond friendship was about as appealing to Julia as mucus oozing out of a wound of one of the murdered victims she had witnessed her father assess. What could honestly be pleasing about committing yourself to a person's life and confessing undying love every two bloody seconds? She couldn't imagine having to give up things she loved for a man - or woman that Julia had somehow found less stupid than most people. Abnormalities - as people would call them - like these caused the girl to wonder why she had friends at all. She was anti-social at the best and worst of times. Alone was good, Alone protected her - that's what she told herself.  She felt lonely though, even with her friends. She concluded it was a result of the hatred many people at school seemed to feel for her. The friends she did have cared for her, she knew they did - Courtney and Peter at least. She was unsure about the others. Sherlock despised Julia's friends and she did not know his reasons for it. Maybe he had read something in them that she had not picked up on. She shrugged those thoughts off without a care. Sherlock hated everybody - it made her chuckle. 

She threw the novel to the side when she found it too unbearable. She desperately wanted to get out of the flat for a while. The air was stuffy and warm and she found it difficult to think. Then she remembered the cigarettes in the pocket of her blazer that was hanging on the bedroom door and smirked in triumph. Those would definitely help. Now that Sherlock was away, hiding the smell would be less difficult. She prepared by opening the window that framed her desk and placing a feathered cushion on the worktop next to where she'd put her laptop that her father had brought upstairs earlier. She then slipped her hands in her blazer pocket and pulled out the packet of cigarettes. If she was careful enough, the smell would be completely gone by her father's return. She sat on the bed as she rifled through her satchel, searching for a lighter. She felt something plastic prod against her fingers.

 _Aha! there you are!_  

Her mobile phone vibrated cautiously against the wood of her chest of drawers - it sounded as though a drill was boring through the surface.

_Three buzzes - then an interval - then one more three second long buzz.  - Courtney._

Julia smiled for a brief second. She was simply happy that it was not another round of threats and abuse from the phantom texter. Her guard was not completely down - Mycroft could protect her but he could not put an end to the messages, technology was not his forte. She groaned loudly when the pattern repeated again - throwing the remaining pillow from her bed in the direction of the phone. 

 "G _ive me two seconds!"_

Drastically sulking as she moved to the other side of the room, she collected her mobile phone and read the text as she made herself comfortable on the desk where the cushion was. She lit up a cigarette and chugged away at it, once again thankful that this text was in fact something she wanted to read. Julia feared school the next day but the nicotine seemed to calm her nerves dramatically. She promised herself that this would be her last time smoking. it made her breath reek and would only create a bigger stain for when her father eventually finds out. Sighing and crossing her legs, she continued to read what Courtney wanted to say. 

**Jules, baby. Can I ask you probably the strangest favour you'll ever hear from me?  - Courts**

She sent a reply without thinking. She'd do anything for Courtney. They had been through everything together and not once did the bullying stop them from being the best of friends. She secretly preferred her over Peter - but she was never going to tell anybody that. The boy was simply too much of a dick when it came to any sort of comforting. He was her closest friend..well..her oldest friend - but Courtney was her best friend and she wouldn't change her for the world.

_T_ _hat girl could really ask some strange favours._

**You can ask. You know ive done some crazy things for you in the past. What do you need? - JH**

In the past her best friend had convinced her to do many things, from helping her skip class to get a haircut to pretending to be French to avoid social interactions. It was no wonder they were as close as they are. She chocked out a cocky laugh when she scanned the next message. 

**Babe, mum's forcing me out of my pit tonight to go to this crappy under 18s club full of creepy 12 year olds trying to act solid. can you pretend to be my boyfriend so people don't try to make a pass on me?  - Courts.**

Sherlock's instructing voice about her not going out echoed in her head - what the hell. She could have Mrs h text her if anything cropped up. She was still marvelled at the broadness of the request. She quickly typed out the next message and finished the cigarette - tossing it out the window and clambering off of the desk. 

**What the hell Courtney? Last time I checked, I had a vagina and boobs. - JH**

 The thing that surprised Julia the most was that she was not at all phased by it - not in the way most girls would act. the only thing that worried her was disobeying her father. Maybe she could pass it off as a case? She'd have a few hours to think up of a decent excuse. She decided that climbing out of the window would be better. Maybe if she was lucky, nobody would notice she had left.  _  
_

**You're a bloody Holmes - You can pull it off - Half the shit you own is for guys anyway. Wear that Obey Snapback I got you as a joke, tie up your hair underneath it, stuff your trousers and bind your chest, I don't know but I need you babe! - Courts**

Julia could not believe she was actually going to go through with this. She hated people - social gatherings were poisonous. The thought occurred to her that nobody would recognise her if she dressed up in the way her friend had described. At least her uncle wouldn't find out - the man was very intelligent but at a glance, she'd look like a different person on CCTV. 

**Fine, but only until dad gets home. I'm technically supposed to be at home in case something happens. An hour at the most. - JH**

With that, Julia grabbed her hairbrush and started pulling her hair into a loose pony-tail. it was smooth and silky but her curls were unruly. She contemplated straightening it but then she feared she'd blow her cover and either look like a gay man or a boyish girl. As she prepared herself, she began training her voice to sound deeper than it already was. If she was lucky she'd sound like a boy who just hit puberty later than others. She then removed her fitted shirt with red checks on it that she had casually thrown on earlier. It would be no good wearing that. The buttons were fastened up at the wrong side and it was made in the way that would accentuate even the smallest of breasts. It was something that she'd wear if she was staying in the house anyhow. Looking through her closet she found a basic T-shirt with AC-DC's band logo on it. In size, it was considerably bigger than what Julia was used to wearing but it meant that she'd get away with a sports bra in her way of binding her chest. It was a good thing that she had been in that S.E lesson after all. They'd touched on how men and woman would try to pass in public as the opposite sex. She shuddered inwardly at the thought of one of her classmates finding her at the club.

Choosing to ignore her concerns, she retrieved her snap-back cap with "Obey" written on it from the bottom of her closet. It was one of those joke presents she had gotten from Courtney on her last birthday. They'd always laughed at how bloody stupid they thought the clothing range looked. This would be her first time wearing it. When she placed it on her head her hair protruded out of the back and it looked very much like she had short hair. She looked almost good like that - she wouldn't have minded having short hair herself. She smirked in the same wry way that her father did when finding out leads on a case - with her hair 'short' she looked just like Sherlock and growing up to be a detective was something she held very highly.

Assessing her appearance in the full length mirror on her door, Julia awkwardly stuffed a bundle of socks in the front of her trousers, hoping it didn't look as though she had an erection. She had to admit, she looked like quite the decent boy. Her outfit, complete with baggy jeans and trainers,  was a far cry from the suits the men in the Holmes family was used to wearing - but she did not mind. Tonight she was not a Holmes, tonight she was somebody else and she could act however she bloody wanted. Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she knew it was time for her to leave.

**You ready? Courts**

**You bet. JH**

Julia climbed onto her desk and slid through the crack the open window had created. There was a fire exit directly underneath it so she would not get hurt if she fell. The weather was very humid that night. There were far too many midges for her liking underneath the street lamps and she was glad she'd chosen to wear the hoody. Trying to explain where any bites had come from to Sherlock would simply be too awkward. He would be able to read her like a book. Julia wondered if her father had deduced that she wouldn't listen to him about staying home tonight. Usually he would have his homeless network patrol the area but from what Julia could see there was nobody in sight. Rolling her eyes Julia climbed down the fire exit, ensuring the window was open wide enough for her to climb back in later on. 

Tonight was certainly going to be interesting, to say the least. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you like this chapter. 
> 
> Next chapter will feature the club and some scenes with Sherlock and John. I intend for this Fan fiction to be Sherlolly due to a request, so if you have any suggestions on how to portray that, feel free to tell me. 
> 
> However, if you want another pairing let me know.


	9. Chapter 9

" _Jules, You look positively male."_ The voice of Courtney penetrated the air, she eyes her friend all over and grinned widely. Julia cocked her head and looked at her inquisitively. She did not know if that was a compliment or not. They had chosen to meet near Angelo's restaurant so they could discuss battle plans before hand. It seemed like a more logical idea. Luckily Angelo hadn't seen her standing there waiting otherwise her father would surely have found out she had sneaked off.

" _Anything for you.."_ She breathed in false annoyance. Courtney was dressed in a simple burgundy knee length jumper with leggings and ankle boots underneath it. Her hair fell loosely on her shoulders and Julia noticed it had been curled with a hot iron to make her curls more tolerable. The girl wafted of perfume, the nice sort of perfume that wasn't too strong. She could also make out traces of red lipstick on her friend's lips as though she had blotted off most of the make-up to create a subtle tone that matched her top. Julia had to admit she looked quite pretty, yet considerably mature for a fourteen year old. They were both due to turn fifteen that year and naturally, Courtney had began to concentrate more on her physical appearance. Julia wondered why, she looked perfectly fine the way she was and it was clear from her favour that she was not willing to attract male attention. Julia only wished she had her father's observational skills at this time.

" _I only need to stay for half an hour, I managed to convince dad to collect me early."_  She smirked, stepping a little closer to her best friend. From the sudden change in look on Julia's face it was obvious that there was some relief there. Courtney felt bad about having to make her friend disobey her father and she knew what Sherlock's temper could be like.

" _Good, I look bloody stupid in this Snap-back."_  Julia commented, looking up at the oversized brim. Her eyes then fell to Courtney's and she could read in her face that she was sceptical this idea was going to work. " _You've no idea how much you'll have to repay me for this. You know how I feel about relationships and all that crap."_ She spoke in a scolding tone, yet it was obvious that there was a humorous grin threatening to appear. 

" _God, I should have thought this through..You look perfect Jules, but how are we going to convince them we are a 'couple' ? "_ She waggled her fingers in the air in place of speech marks. Julia scanned her friend for body language that she could deduce.  " _I mean..I'm not ready to have a boyfriend, I want people to have a reason to not approach me."_ Her best friend nodded knowingly. One thing that brought the friends close together was their shared understanding. Julia noticed that Courtney was playing absent mindedly with her hair and and was trying to look away, almost embarrassed by her thoughts. Julia decided to speak for her - coming up with her own solution to make her feel less awkward than she already was.

" _Here."_ She reached out to Courtney's hand. " _Take my hand. If we walk in like this people will immediately know that we are a couple."_

She felt her friend tense up at the sudden contact but she understood that it was just as awkward for the both of them. The faint music from the club down the street became louder and louder as they both started walking towards it.  Neither of them felt particularly comfortable but Julia knew it was better this way. Courtney had gone though a lot in her life which made her deterrence from boys completely understandable. Julia cleared those thoughts from her mind - there were none of her business in the end. 

" _It's a good thing we wont be here long.."_  Courtney muttered under her breath, hand hanging limply in Julia's iron grip. They both reacted in different ways to nerves. While Courtney tended to loose all bodily functions, Julia found that she would move jerkily, clench her fists, walk stiffly. There was a large contrast between the two yet so many similarities that nobody else understood. As they walked Julia noticed her friend biting her lips and looking insecurely at her as though asking a subtle question that neither had dared to speak of. The inner Sherlock invoked inside of her and she began reading her as much as she could. Courtney's hands became very cold and and clammy. It was obvious what she wanted to ask. 

" _Yes. Yes it is."_ Julia whispered. " _Now hush, we are almost there. For the record, I'm not going to kiss you so don't worry. I wouldn't put you through that."_

Courtney seemed visibly relieved, she gripped a little tighter onto Julia's hand and her old, cocky self returned. She smirked and tossed her hair dramatically over her shoulder.

" _But dahling, I'm simply fabulous!"_ She proclaimed. Julia's eyes narrowed at her with false disapproval. 

" _You really are something, aren't you?"_  She said. They both shared a look that only best friends could give each other and starting laughing. Not once did Courtney mention the situation at school and she was grateful for that. Julia didn't know how the night would have panned out if she was aware of how bad things could possibly be. Courtney nudged her gently with her elbow. 

" _You make a good boy, Jules."_  

Suddenly Courtney halted tugged Julia to side before they reached the main entrance, music at full blast now. Her friend looked at her questionably, then she saw what the big fuss was over. Kerry was getting into a rather old looking car across the street. There was something different about her. The intimidating bimbo now looked like a wash out unfortunate soul, her dress seemed too big for her and her she was wearing shoes that obviously did not match the outfit she wore. She wasn't wearing any sort of make-up and her hair hung limply like a wet mop. Gordon's grizzly face could be seen very briefly through one of the rear windows and Kerry disappeared into the car while the spotty freak wrapped a possessive arm around her. Neither of the girl's questioned it. It was obvious that they wanted to though. Teenage mood swings perhaps?

" _Wait for a few minutes..if she sees you like this.._

 _"I know.."_ Julia replied quickly. 

" _Are you ready for this?"_  Courtney asked when Kerry was gone, prodding at the Snap-back and still disbelieving that her friend had actually done all of this, Bulge, bound chest and all. Julia seemed more comfortable with the outfit she was wearing. It made Courtney smile and but unable to stop making a humorous comment. She couldn't help but notice how strikingly alike Julia and Sherlock were.

" _You really are turning more into your father every day.."_

They both burst into a fit of giggles and approached the club hand in hand. Now that the road was safe to cross, they braced themselves for a night they would surely remember for a long time. 

 

xXxXxXxXx

To say the least, the club was surprisingly uneventful. Julia might as well have not showed up. There were a few teenage girls giggling in a corner drinking Schloer, trying to act as though they were drinking vintage wine. The music playing was bland and incoherent. On the dance floor were two or three seventeen year old's clearly drunk before they even got to the club and Julia had spent the whole half hour deducing every single person in the club much to Courtney's amusement. They laughed and joked and didn't need to bother with the boyfriend charade at all. When it was time to go home Courtney'd father offered Julia a lift home which she accepted gratefully. He did not question the girl's choice of attire. He knew what her father was like and had known to simply accept these sort of things by now. He probably assumed she was on some sort of case.

The girls waved and hugged goodbye when they reached Baker street. Julia waited for the car to disappear around the corner before dashing around the back of the buildings to the fire exit. She climbed the ladder slowly, ensuring that if her father was home, he wouldn't hear her breaking into her own bedroom. That would be awkward to explain. Much to her relief she found that when she returned to her bedroom and walked downstairs into the living room, Sherlock had yet to come home. For once she was glad that these cases could go on for hours. She traversed into the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea, dashing upstairs when she remembered she had left her favourite mug in her bedroom. She also took time to change her clothes, slipping on what she was wearing before and pulling the hair-band from her hair as though she had never been gone. Upon her return, she heard the front door slam shut and heavy foot steps padding up the stair way. 

_Damn that was a close one.._

" _Dad?"_ Julia called out, plopping a teabag into her newly washed mug. Sherlock came into the room wheeling in a pink suitcase causing Julia to raise her eyebrows. Obviously it was for the case - God, the only colours Sherlock seemed to prefer were dark ones. She noticed John was not with him but she was unsurprised. When on a case Sherlock tended to forget the simplest of things. 

" _Hello Julia."_ He smiled nonchalantly, stripping off his Belstaff and scarf. She eyed him and his brows furrowed. " _What?"_

 _"_ _Where is John?"_  

Sherlock looked guiltily to his feet and stepped into the kitchen, gesturing for her to move away from the drawer she was blocking. She sidled away and he pulled out a packet of nicotine patches. When Julia cleared her throat Sherlock showed her the texts he had sent John. He wasn't phased it seemed. She looked carefully at the texts and sighed, taking sip of tea from her mug. 

" _I left him at the crime scene."_

**Baker Street.** **Come at once I** **f convenient.**   
**SH**

**If inconvenient,** **come anyway.**

**SH**

**Could be dangerous.**   
**SH**

" _Dad you can't leave him like that! besides, what could be dangerous?"_

Sherlock ignored her question and rolled removed his jacket. Then rolled up his sleep and placed three patches in a triangle on his skin. He then breathed in heavily and lay back on the couch. Julia clearly wasn't the only one who used nicotine to think. She was used to him ignoring the apparently stupid questions. 

" _Three patches..This must be an interesting case."_ She quipped, toddling over to the armchair opposite where John had sat previously. She plucked the phone from her pocket when Courtney's text alert came through. She had turned the sound on just to piss her father off but it didn't seem to work. After all these years he'd grown to blot out simple things such as annoying noises or stupidity. He suddenly got to his feet when his own phone went off. Reading the message he started to write something down on a piece of Card on his desk. Then he whipped around and held a hand out to his daughter.

" _I need your phone."_ He demanded, he tried to sound kind but evidently it wasn't working. 

" _No."_ She said defensively. Thinking of the texts she had received from the mystery number, Julia could not risk her father seeing them. They could come through at any possible moment. She needed to think of a good lie. The best part about being able to read people is be able to not make the mistakes everybody else did when trying to lie. She looked at him with a concerned gaze and spoke quietly. " _Courtney needs my help with something. Sorry, I need to focus on texting her right now, dad."_

Sherlock nodded, walking to the living room door and called out for Mrs Hudson several times causing Julia to jump.

No answer.

Giving up Sherlock lay back on the couch waiting for his last resort to arrive. He pressed firmly on the patches, willing them to help him think. He didn't have time to play his violin. Julia felt a tad guilty that she couldn't help out more. It was important that her father didn't see what people had been sending her. If he got involved things could get far worse. She smiled warmly when John came hobbling into the room, still convinced that his limp was real. 

 _"What are you doing?_ " He asked Sherlock, who was now clenching his fists.

 _"Nicotine patch. Helps me think."_ He replied, revealing the patches on his arm, his hands positioned into another teepee under his chin. John looked at him bemused but intrigued. He passed a glance to Julia who looked as though she had seen all of this before, casually typing away at yet another text message to her friends. 

 _"Is that three patches?"_ He asked when he caught a glimpse of Sherlock's bare arm.  

_"It’s a three-patch problem."_

John wondered what he meant by that, did different types of crimes require different amounts of nicotine? Sherlock really was a strange man - Strange, but absolutely brilliant at the same time. He'd never seen a man with such precise observational skills before. On to more important matters, John leaned against his cane and looked to the Detective expectedly. 

 _"You asked me to come. I’m assuming it’s important."_ He asked, waiting for an explanation. 

" _Oh, yeah, of course. Can I borrow your phone?"_ Sherlock asked innocently, Julia could not help but giggle at the question. Did Sherlock really coax John through those texts purely to borrow his phone? It was all rather humours to her and Sherlock silence her with a glare. 

 _"Don’t wanna use mine. Always a chance that the number will be recognised. It’s on the website."_  He continued, gesturing to his laptop that was open on the backrest of the couch. The tab had: " **The science of Deduction"** opened up. John wasn't interested in that sort of thing. He though the website was fairly bland in his point of view.

 _"Mrs Hudson’s got a phone."_ John reasoned, sounding annoyed.

_"Yeah, she’s downstairs. I tried shouting but she didn’t hear."_

Julia could not help but add the the conversation. She set her phone down and leaned forward.  

" _I unfortunately had to listen to the shouting.."_

John approached the sprawled out detective and looked over him, confused and still angry. He'd had a terrible encounter with a man he had never met before not too long ago. His identity was never revealed. Mycroft Holmes, it seemed, held a keen interest in the doctor and his association with his younger brother. Sherlock didn't have any friends so when he was alerted that Sherlock had a potential flat-mate following him around London on one of his cases like a puppy dog, he could not help but intervene. It intrigued him that the doctor remained loyal the the detective - it was a matter he would have to delve deeper into. Snapping out his thoughts, John looked at Sherlock awaiting a reply. 

_"There was no hurry."_

The doctor fished into his pockets and chucked the mobile phone over to Sherlock, not bothering to continue the argument. Julia sighed, she was beginning to enjoy watching them bicker. 

 _"Here."_ He breathed, looking out of the window.


	10. Chapter 10

John quickly typed out the text that Sherlock had asked him to send while Julia reclined in her father’s arm chair. He shooed her briskly and she move from the seat without a second thought. Sherlock then grabbed the pink case and placed it on a stool in front of the chair, sitting down and noticing that John was giving him a strange look. Julia knelt beside her father and inspected the case closely, reaching out to the tag that had all the owners contact details.

 

“ _Jennifer Wilson...”_ She breathed, letting go of it and crossing her legs. “ _Was she the victim?”_

Sherlock nodded and unzipped the case, inspecting it. John moved closer and it was obvious what he was thinking.

 

“ _That’s her case, that’s the pink lady’s case.”_ He stated, his voice full of suspicion. Sherlock stopped what he was doing and faced him.

 

“ _I suppose I should say that I didn't kill her.”_

 

John shook his head and sat in the seat opposite Sherlock who was grinning triumphantly at his findings, Julia leaned against the chair and remembered how many times her father had been accused of committing the crimes in the past. People really were too stupid for their own good.

 

“ _I never said you did...”_ John said defensively.

 

“ _Considering that I have the case and the text I have just had you send, it’s a perfectly logical assumption.”_

Sherlock stated as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. John eyed him curiously and hesitantly asked the next question:

 

“ _Do people normally assume you are the murderer?”_

 

“ _Now and then, yes.”_ He smirked, changing his sitting position to where his feet were on the chair. Julia wrapped her arms around her knees and chipped in.

 

“ _More like, ninety percent of the time.”_ She said slyly, quickly adding on to the end “ _Until he solves the case of course”_ When Sherlock shot her an annoyed look.

 

Julia’s phone bleeped once again and she knew that it was Mycroft texting her. She was no longer pissed off at him by that time.

 

**Does my brother know that you went into town earlier this evening? MH**

She chose not to respond. John had mentioned before that he had met Sherlock’s arch enemy – as he liked to put it. There was only one person that Sherlock genuinely hated more than Anderson and Donovan and that was his older brother Mycroft. It was not a difficult deduction. He was offering John money to spy on her father again but he loyally chose not to accept it. When her phone buzzed once more, Sherlock bopped her on the head lightly with his palm causing John to let out a stifled laugh. The relationship the father and daughter had was really quite something.

 

“ _Shut up!”_ Sherlock said through a whisper, ruffling Julia’s hair to annoy her. She held her hands up defeat and set the mobile phone to silent.

 

**Of course he doesn’t. Good luck tomorrow. I will ensure your safety. MH**

_That patronising bastard…_

She snapped her head up when John’s phone started to blare its’ ring tone – The number was withheld and she knew straight away that it was the murderer. It was too coincidental considering the text John had sent before. Her phone buzzed at the same time and her heart practically stopped, she recognised that pattern, it repeated again, and again, and again. The two men didn’t notice Julia’s expression and her shaky hands swiping the lock screen to view who was texting her.

 

**Tranny. [Unknown}**

**{Incoming call – Withheld}**

Then three seconds later.

**You have a new voicemail!**

She barely paid attention to the conversation that was going on in front of her. They’d gone a step further now. This was going to end painfully, she could tell. The call had been very brief. Maybe they had not meant to call her, maybe the voicemail message was empty. She slipped the phone into her back pocket after turning it off and held onto her desperate hope. Perhaps if her phone was turned off, they would give up. She noticed that Sherlock was no longer in the chair and halfway across the room fastening the buttons on his coat, John was still sitting comfortably but she knew straight away what was happening.

 

“ _Where are you going?”_ She asked, standing up and stretching her stiff joints.

 

“ _Angelo’s. Unless you have forgotten that John and I are on a case.”_ He answered sardonically. Julia ambled towards him and grabbed his arm, before he could leave the room, causing his breath to hitch. She knew that Sherlock never ate on a case, and she knew what street it was situated. They were going to sojourn directly into the path of a murderer which sounded much more fun that sitting at home.

 

“ _What about me?”_

 

Her eyes gave everything away, they were big and susceptible to displaying emotion, be it through hurt, joy or wonder. She wanted to join him. He knew her by now, in fact this was the first case he had not allowed her on. Another reason why he needed a flat mate was so that Julia would not have her life risked almost every week. She was intelligent and deduced to an acceptable standard but she lacked physical strength and Sherlock was always very reluctant to bring her with him. He couldn’t let anything harm one of his only pressure points.

 

“ _You can’t come. I told you before.”_

“ _What do you mean I cannot come?”_ She protested, crossing her arms and leaning indignantly on the door frame. Her hair cascaded in front of her eyes as she tilted her head with a kicked puppy expression on her face. Sherlock narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth in annoyance. He watched her hold her pathetic plead for a little while longer. It was very childish of her but it had worked before.

 

“ _I have John now.”_

 

He scanned his eyes across Julia’s face for emotion when he saw that her smile had faltered. Her pupils dilated, her bottom lip trembled and her eyes glossed over. Her skin seemed to pale noticeably as well. The way her body went rigid and how her fists clenched against her side gave an indication of her feelings. – hurt. Why was she hurt? Sherlock could not understand. He had told her the truth, wasn’t that a good thing? She took a moment and found her voice.

 

“ _So I was just there to keep you company? I didn’t actually serve any relevance to the cases at hand?”_ She inhaled deeply and waited for her father respond. The room fell into a deafening silence and the atmosphere could be cut with a knife. When he stared at her emptily, unsure of the answer himself, Julia answered it for him. “ _No...I was just your baggage.”_

Sherlock shook his head at even the thought of that statement and placed his hand softly on her shoulder blade, the tension receded and she looked at him, still hurt but curious.

 

“ _You are more than that Julia. I simply need you to be safe.”_ He assured through a very small, barely noticeable smile. It didn’t take a genius for Julia to be capable of reading that he was talking genuinely. He removed his hand and glanced at John who returned the gaze briefly with uncertainty of how to behave. For the entire conversation he had sat there watching with great discomfort. A flash of doubt struck him whether or not it would be a good idea for him to intrude on their lives. He brought a finger to his bottom lip thoughtfully and tightened his grip on his cane. The scenes of Julia proudly deducing and Sherlock tickling her nose with a violin bow replaying in his mind reminded him that it wasn’t always going to be like this. It made him chuckle slightly.

 

“ _You can always stay here and watched telly”_  Sherlock quipped with a smirk, raising his eyebrows, ignoring that Julia was fighting a smile. His human side was showing again. John looked up at him and he found that he was enjoying being around the two. They were polar opposites yet at the same time, very similar. Julia, it seems, was far more capable of understanding and acting on her emotions and feelings. Something that Sherlock was still inexperienced in.

 

“ _You want me to come with you?”_ John asked, already knowing what the answer to that question was.

 

“ _I do like company when I go out, and Julia could do with extra protection.”_ He answered, wrapping his scarf around his neck and winking at Julia who grinned widely at the implication. She hugged her father dramatically and he rolled his eyes, patting her back awkwardly. He knew that if he kept Julia away, she would only follow in the end. She reminded him far too much of himself when he was younger in so many aspects. When she pulled away she was already running upstairs to her bedroom to get her coat. Sherlock could hear things being thrown around carelessly but thought nothing of it.

 

John stood up and hobbled towards the door to the landing, cane clanking. He wished he knew what would cause it to stop. He knew a long time ago that it was purely in his head that the pain was there. Sherlock looked at him up and down as though trying to make another deduction but he shook his head and listened for Julia.

 

“ _Does it run in the family?”_ John asked, noticing the look that the detective was giving him.

 

“ _Does what?”_ Sherlock asked him, his brows furrowing.

 

“ _That thing you do...”_

Sherlock smiled and watched Julia come into view as she bounded down stairs. With her hair tied back loosely, she wore her favourite coat. It was almost identical to her fathers and it was striking how similar the two looked. She only ever wore it on cases. As much as she admired her father and all the work he did, she was against the idea of being looked upon as a miniature Sherlock. – She was her own person. The cases were simply an enjoyable hobby. She wanted to treasure her time as a child for as long as she could – there was still a deep innocence that existed inside her that she didn’t want to lose too quickly. As she entered the room her blue eyes looked up at her father and her mouth twitched in that sly grin that she seemed to have Inherited..

 

“ _Yes, I believe it does.”_ Her father answered, slipping his gloves on and leaving the flat with Julia and an amused John trailing behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this was so late! I've been very ill lately and have been unable to get to my laptop. Currently updating this at school as they haven't blocked this website! ^.^
> 
> Sorry for any errors.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally supposed to be much longer but I have been so ill lately that I've been unable to update and write a lot. I will write as often as I can but enjoy this for now. I plan on fixing all my previous mistakes in other chapters before updating so expect a wait. Thank you for reading!

They walked down the street to their destination, a taxi was unnecessary as Angelo’s was only a five minute walk. Julia who had remained quiet the whole time looked at John who had been passing curious glances every so often and smiled. She politely held out her hand to shake.

 

“ _I don’t think I ever really introduced myself properly.”_ She admitted shyly, relaxing when John returned the gesture. “ _I’m Julia.”_

 

“ _John Watson”_ He replied. Sherlock didn’t pay much attention to what was happening and continued to walk in front of them. Julia slipped her hands in her pockets and continued to walk at a steady pace. Her phone had been turned off and left at home not long before they left 221B Baker Street to prevent any sort of disturbance during the case. She knew that Sherlock would be against her cutting off any sort of emergency contact but she wouldn’t be able to think clearly if her text alerts were constantly going off one after the other. She made the mental note to stay close to John – Sherlock had the tendency to branch off and do his own thing during these sort of cases.

 

“ _Is he always like this?”_ John asked her, probably already knowing the answer to that question. Julia wondered why Sherlock trusted this man so quickly, they barely knew each other. Julia was a person of high importance to Sherlock so he would not trust her life in the hands of a complete stranger. Maybe it was something he had deduced on their first meeting. They both knew he was a doctor and that he had recently returned home from the war in Afghanistan so that in itself would require a degree of trustworthiness. She didn’t bother to question the matter further, she was sure the answer would come up eventually.

 

“ _Yeah…I’ve seen worse”_ She laughed, receiving a cold glance from Sherlock as he looked back on the two. Then he looked forward again and walked briskly, carefully assessing his surroundings. He was wary of bringing Julia with him when it came to serial killers. They could strike at any moment and his name was fairly known by criminals and those sort of people alike. He only hoped his homeless network were keeping a watchful eye out in case danger were to arise. At least if she were with him, he would be able to keep an eye on her at all times, yet he could not shake the thought that she would be safer in the care of Mrs Hudson.

 

He remembered Natasha. If she had simply accepted her responsibilities, maybe the child would be safer than she would be with him. He loved his little girl more than any other person in the world- perhaps the only person he loved and would never be able to forgive himself if she got hurt under his care. He had kept a degree of information about her mother from Julia, and the circumstances in which she was conceived. There was only so much that he felt he could tell her. She knew that as a baby, she had been abandoned by Natasha not long after birth, without medical attention, and that she had made no effort to contact Sherlock since. She also knew that they were both young adults when it happened and she also knew the pregnancy was not intentional – However she did not know that she was the result of a failed experiment. She had spent her life living with ignorance being bliss – under the impression that Sherlock had loved once and that the couple had simply gone their separate ways. She loathed the woman who she had never met as a result. If she had known that Sherlock had used Natasha’s feelings for his own selfish purposes – it would break her. She idolised her father and Sherlock knew that and if she knew of how far he would go for answers, she would question how much she could trust Sherlock in general.

 

He felt a small amount of regret for doing what he did, Natasha’s love for him was simply human error and she should have known better than to expect reciprocation. She was his only friend and knew exactly how he felt about relationships in general. Yet he had hurt her and he struggled to understand why. He had always tried to detach himself from any sort of feelings throughout his life and when Natasha had smacked him, cried and told him she would never forgive him, he had no idea how to function. The experiment was perfectly justifiable – it may have been insensitive but the opportunity was simply too rare to pass up. It was not his intention to cause her emotional pain and in the end the experiment was a failure due to his intoxication. Julia was something he could never regret, her presence was a divining rod in helping him to break his drug habits and grasp parental responsibility with both hands. She also brought him happiness and she made his life so much better. He considered himself a socio-path, but Julia was his only exception. 

 

 

* * *

 

 

“ _Daddy, who is my mother? Everybody else has one, why don’t I have one?”_

 

_Julia was a five year old. Young and naïve in every way possible. Her t-shirt had multi-coloured dinosaurs printed on it and she had a silly pale blue flower in her hair that Courtney's mother had given her, insisting that it looked good on her. The child was such an innocent creature. She didn't understand loss, or murder or crime despite being the daughter of the world's only consulting detective. Sherlock feared that this question would come up eventually. She was kneeling before him, eyes wide in curiosity with her palms against her thighs – watching him look through his microscope as she tried to work out how many wooden blocks could be stacked up on one another before it would keel over. It was her own harmless little experiment, much different from the blood traces found on one of them that her father was investigating. Sherlock stiffened at her question and straightened his back against his chair._

 

“ _She left, we were very young. That is all you need to know right now.” He murmured coldly._

 

_You used me. All for an experiment!_

 

“ _Was she your girlfriend?”Julia asked as her bricks tumbled to the ground_

 

_I loved you…_

 

“ _No.”_

 

“ _Was she your friend?”_

 

“ _I don’t have friends” He clarified, moving from his chair to help Julia build another tower. She clapped her hands together and wrote on a whiteboard in her neatest handwriting. “Sixt..”_

 

“ _Daddy how do you spell sixteen?” She asked, turning to look him in the eye. He chuckled and kissed her head gently.”_

 

“ _S-I-X-T-E-E-N” He smiled. She finished writing up her results, her tongue sticking out in concentration. When she was finished she handed the board to her father and looked for his approval. He nodded and drew her close, helping her stand up with him. She hugged his waist possessively and leaned into his touch like a kitten. He prodded her nose and she sneezed dramatically before giggling uncontrollably. Her father placed his hands on her shoulders when she had calmed down and asked her in a very serious voice._

" _How many bricks were on the floor?"_

 _"Five."_ She held up her hand and indicated with her fingers. " _They were spread out in a line like this."_

She then knelt down and moved the bricks around until they were in the position she had remembered them to be. Despite the fact that Sherlock already had a photograph of the crime scene, he wanted to test his daughters memory. He smiled fondly as she desperately tried to impress him. 

 

" _There."_ She beamed, standing up again. Sherlock brought her into his arms once more. 

 

“ _Well done Julia – we now know that it wasn’t the mother who killed the little boy”_

 

“ _How?” She asked, feeling proud of her assistance and forgetting all about her mother._

 

“ _That’s the clever part.” Sherlock smirked, ruffling her hair. He could not hide the amusement that Julia’s pride brought. She was an intelligent girl in so many ways. He carefully copied down the results of his daughter’s experiment in his notepad and then glanced at the photographs pinned on the cork-board in the living room. The data seemed to prove to be very useful indeed._

 

_Julia could only watch on in fascination._

 

 

 

 


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This might or might not be re-edited in the future. The other ones will be fixed soon. Finally recovered from being ill but It's exam leave soon so that is more important for me right now. Thank you to all my readers for being so patient with me. ^.^

_"Still there?"_ Sherlock heard John say, clearing his throat. He snapped out of his reverie and looked to him confused for a few seconds. He noticed that Angelo's just down the street and slowed down his pace ever so slightly so Julia could keep up with them. Sherlock nodded and tried to return to reality.

" _Oh, yes. Sorry."_ He said, shaking his head. Julia rolled her eyes and continued walking. She wanted to berate him for not paying attention but she didn't want to embarrass her own father in front of John. It would simply laughable.

 _"Where are we going?"_ John asked, limping alongside the detective.

" _Northumberland Street's a five-minute walk from here."_ He clarified.

" _You think he's stupid enough to go there?"_ John scoffed, earning a smirk from both Julia and Sherlock.

 _No – I think he's _brilliant_  enough. I love the brilliant ones. They're al_ _ways so desperate to get caught."_ He replied, turning to look at Julia. She sped up and walked by his side. He placed an arm around her shoulder as though protecting her.

" _Why?"_

" _Because criminals are attention seeking idiots, right dad?"_ Julia could not help but add her own input to the conversation. He smirked and pulled her close for a second before letting go.

" _Yes, Appreciation! Applause! At long last the spotlight. That's the frailty of genius, John: it needs an audience."_

_"Yeah." John replied._

_"This is his hunting ground, right here in the heart of the city. Now that we know his victims were abducted, that changes everything. Because all of his victims disappeared from busy streets, crowded places, but nobody saw them go."_ He raised his hands and tried to concentrate. " _Think! Who do we trust, even though we don't know them? Who passes unnoticed wherever they go? Who hunts in the middle of a crowd?"_

 _"Dunno, who?"_ John asked, expecting Sherlock to know the answer.

" _Haven't the faintest"_ He shrugged. " _Hungry?"_

Sherlock suddenly crossed the street and headed for the nearby restaurant. As they entered a young man greeted them at the door and gestured towards a reserved table. He removed the sign without hesitation and left the table to fetch Angelo.

" _Thank you Billy."_ He smiled courteously, removing his coat and sitting in a chair opposite John. Julia giggled, remembering that Billy was the name that Sherlock had chosen for his skull. A cold look from her father silenced her. She sat directly facing the window and kept her head bowed down to avoid suspicion.  _They couldn't all be be looking out the window._

 _"Twenty-two Northumberland Terrace. Keep your eyes on it."_ Sherlock instructed, nodding in the direction that Julia was facing. She was playing softly with her hair and trying to seem as casual as humanly possible. She leaned forwards against the table and steepled her hands in the way her father would when he was in dee thought. John smirked at the similarity but Sherlock wasn't paying attention. His focus was on the case and nothing more. Just then a portly man with rolled up sleeves and a beaming smile on his face bustled over to the table, he couldn't seem more pleased if he tried. John was busy leaning his cane against the wall to notice straight away.

 _"Sherlock."_ He grinned, shaking Sherlock's hand with a strong grip. He then handed out three menus. John took noto of the fact that Sherlock waved his hands dismissively. Clearly he had no intention of eating. Julia felt her stomach rumble and scanned the menu without a second thought. She poured over all the different selections of food - it had been hours since she had last eaten something. John began reading too. " _Anything on the menu, whatever you want, free."_ He wrapped an arm around Julia who went rigid and clearly looked uncomfortable being hugged. She smiled falsely, her lips pressing together. " _Julia, you've grown since I last saw you. How old are you now?"_

 _"Fifteen"_ She breathed through her teeth, her voice slightly higher in pitch as she feigned cheerfulness.

" _And a pretty young lady you have become too."_ He turned to face Sherlock as he let go of the traumatised teenager. " _On the house, for you, Julia _and_  for your date."_

 _"Do you want to eat?"_  Sherlock asked, aiming it at Julia and John. The child nodded quickly and John looked defensively at the man.

" _I'm not his date."_ He stated, Julia rolled her eyes as though to say ' _Here come the homosexual insinuations again'_

 _"This man got me off a murder charge."_ He said proudly.

 _"This is Angelo."_ Sherlock explained. The man held his hand out the shake John's. " _Three years ago I successfully proved to Lestrade at the time of a particularly vicious triple murder that Angelo was in a completely different part of town, house-breaking."_

 _"He cleared my name."_ He said, still smiling and hugging Julia again. She wondered why the hell this man had to be so bloody affectionate. It was horrifying. She chose to remain quiet and observe the sympathetic look John was giving her. She mouthed 'Help me' over and over in an attempt to make him laugh. Sherlock had noticed too but it did nothing for him. Angelo was none the wiser. Fighting a laugh, he turned his attention to the window, keeping a watch out like he was supposed to.

_"I cleared it a bit. Anything happening opposite?"_

_"Nothing. But for this man, I'd have gone to prison."_

_"You did go to prison."_ Sherlock corrected, looking at him strangely. Angelo started to walk away, freeing Julia from his grasp.

_"I'll get a candle for the table. It's more romantic."_

John looked at him indignantly and shouted. " _I'm not his date!"_

Sherlock focussed his attention on Julia who was now folding her napkin into shapes and clearly thinking about something. She was most definitely hiding something and her lying skills were not nearly as good as she thought. Of course he did not believe her earlier when she was asked to explain why Mycroft needed her or why she refused to let him use her phone. He expected her to tell him the truth herself when the time came. There were obvious signs that even she could not disguise well like the way her eye brows furrowed or how her fingers tapped gently when she thought he couldn't see. Then there were simple things like answering too quickly when answering a question or unintentionally fiddling with her hair and looking down - avoiding his gaze- or behaving out of character. He reached and tapped her shoulder gently. She looked to him slowly, confused as though escaping deep thought.

" _We need to talk when all this is over."_ He said, pulling away. She nodded and noticed that Angelo was returning with a crimson candle in a bottle - she pulled a silly face at John and he shook his head in exasperation. Angelo gave him a thumbs up and walked away smirking.  _  
_

xXxXxX

Julia washed her hands in silence and looked despairingly at her reflection in the mirror – streaked from a shoddy cleaning job. Her eyes were dark and she clearly looked worn out. She blamed it on too much work and too little rest in between times. She'd excused herself from the table when things had gotten a little too awkward. Her knuckles rubbed furiously against her palms as the soap lathered and water sloshed. She didn't care. Too many thoughts were on her mind at that moment. In truth she liked John and genuinely did find his failed attempt at conversation rather amusing but there was something about Sherlock's comment that set her teeth on edge.

" _Woman? No, not really my area…"_

He said it casually, probably without any ill intention but it was still not an appropriate comment to make in front of his teenage daughter. Her father had not been in any form of relationship as far as she could remember. It has always just been the two of them with the occasional intrusion of Mycroft Holmes.

' _Clearly woman had been his area before'_ She mumbled incoherently under her breath.  _Maybe dad is gay,_  She thought, attempting to make light of the situation. Mrs Hudson was definitely for that argument. She Scrubbed harder and didn't react when she heard a toilet flush in the stall behind her.

" _You're going to rub yourself raw doing that."_ A voice spoke. Julia whipped around and smiled falsely.

" _Hi Tracy.."_


	13. Chapter 13

" _Fancy seeing you here."_ The older woman commented, squirting a decent helping of hand sanitiser on her fingers. The strong smell of the stuff filled every crevice of the room causing Julia's nose to sting a little. She didn't remember seeing Tracy when she had entered the toilets but in fairness, she wasn't paying much attention to anything other than her father and the view from the window.

" _Here with my dad and a friend."_ Julia clarified, now drying her hands on the electric device on the wall. Tracy was wearing a rather elegant dress. Her hair was done up in a delicate pleated fashion. It was simple enough to deduce that she was on a date of some sorts. Julia witnessed her un-popping the clasp on her clutch bag and pulling out a vivid red lipstick that complimented the deep burgundy tones of her gown very well. As she was touching up her make up, Julia straightened out her shirt and tucked it into her jeans.

_"I'm glad you contacted me. Those girls had no right to say what they did."_ _  
_

" _Me too"_ Julia looked at her watch and realised she had been gone for nearly twenty minutes. Surely Sherlock would be wondering where she was by now. She started walking towards the door just as Tracy was applying some eye shadow. She waved half heartedly. " _Must dash, dad will be wondering where I am."_

" _I'll see you tomorrow."_ She smiled. Julia nodded and left the room wuthout so much as a second glance.

* * *

After departing the lavatory, Julia trudged briskly over to where her father and John we supposed to be sitting. When she arrive however she found that they had vanished and were no longer sitting at the table. The food that the doctor had been consuming was left half-eaten and his walking stick perched precariously against the wall. Julia's pasta sat sullenly in its' bowl, probably cold by now. Angelo bustled to the table and began clearing away the contents, glancing briefly at the girl before continuing.

" _Angelo, where is my dad?"_ She asked, confused. She was unsure if she should be worried or not. It would not be the first time Sherlock had vanished out of the blue.

" _They chased after a taxi. I'm sure it is all part of the case."_ He reassured, gesturing in the direction of the window. Julia nodded and reached for her coat. It was no use staying there worrying about her father. Instead she decided to go home.

" _I guess I'd better go home and wait for them."_ She explained, brushing Angelo away and leaving the restaurant. She slipped her coat on and walked in the direction of Baker Street. She had no idea if that what Sherlock had expected her to do - now would have been a good time to have brought her mobile phone with her. She silently berated herself for being afraid of the messages she was receiving – all she had to do was block unknown mobile numbers from contacting her. She was sure her phone had that option. Part of her feared however that there would be a time where Sherlock would need to contact her when he was unable to use his own phone. It had happened many times before - on cases where clients insisted that hiding their number would ensure their own safety if Sherlock needed to use their mobiles. Having their numbers hidden obviously had no effect on their safety – Sherlock usually only showed up if the case was either interesting or that there was a danger of more crimes occurring – but it was a nice prospect.

Ignorance really could be bliss

Upon arriving on Baker Street, it was evident that things were not quite right, several police cars were parked in several locations in front of the flat and through the windows she could see that all the lights were on, even her bedroom light which she was sure she had turned off. She could only make one conclusion out of this – somebody was in the flat. If the whole building was lit up, it meant they were searching for something. The police cars indicated that it concerned legal matters – perhaps drugs.

She knew of her father's habits and had found out completely by accident when she was looking for a toy in her father's bedroom and instead found a syringe. She was seven years old at the time and could have gotten hurt if Sherlock had not found her moments later. He had explained it to her clearly, describing it in a way that any normal child would be disturbed by. However Julia was no ordinary child – None of the Holmes children ever were. They said things as they were, not caring to soften the blow to younger minds. Things were much better that way in Julia's opinion. Since that day Sherlock had kept the drugs far away from his daughter and sought to find other ways to keep his bored mind occupied.

Julia's stomach leaped when she remembered the suitcase had been left behind. If anybody had found that Sherlock would be in trouble. She let herself into the flat and ascended the stairs to find Lestrade reclining comfortably in Sherlock's armchair. Numerous officers and people she knew were ransacking the flat. He could see her anger etched on her face and sat up promptly.

" _What are you doing?"_ She demanded, her eyes falling on Anderson and Donovan smirking away. " _If dad sees them here he will be furious."_

" _Why didn't you come to me about the case?"_ He asked ignoring her question.. As much as she cared about Grieg, he could be a complete arse sometimes. She heard footsteps coming from upstairs and new she had better make sure they were not destroying the bedroom she had taken so long to organise.

" _Because you are Idiots._   _If you are looking for drugs you won't find any"_

" _You can't keep important evidence from us."_ He said defensively, failing to see anything wrong with what they were doing. Julia breathed coolly through her nose and held her hands up in defeat

" _You know what, dad can deal with this."_ She stated, storming out of the room and upstairs to her bedroom. Thee she found two officers rummaging through her sock drawers disrespectfully. They tossed garments on the ground and trod all over Julia's school work that had been knocked off of the desk. She saw that her phone was left untouched on her bedside cabinet and quickly rescued it before dealing with the men. She clenched her fists and said in a low, threatening voice.

" _Get. Out."_

They spun around after hearing this and laughed sardonically, clearly having no intention of taking orders from a little girl.

" _Run along princess, we have work to do."_ One of them said, chuckling.

" _Yeah, leave the smart people to do the work."_ The other one chimed in.

This only caused Julia to be more annoyed. For a moment she thought about what her father would do in these sort of situations – would he deduce until he got his way? The idea did not seem like a bad one to Julia so she scanned her eyes over their bodies and smirked at her findings. Perfect.

" _I'm the idiot? But dear officers I know all about your secret. I know from a glance that you both are hiding an affair – I also know that one of you is married with a wife and a child judging by the wedding ring and pendant you are wearing."_ She began, pointing to the taller officer. " _No adult would wear something glittery and pink with their name on it around their neck unless it was given to you by a child. I know that the marriage was probably used to conceal your homosexuality and that you and this other officer are involved romantically."_ She smiled as she watched the men squirm. They looked at her distraught and stopped what they were doing.

" _How could you possibly know about us? Ow!"_ The smaller officer felt somebody stomp on his foot.

" _Shut up"_ The taller officer hissed.

" _I don't know I observe."_ Julia answered, smiling in satisfaction when the officers made their excuses and left the room. She wondered if that was a little too cruel. She didn't want to be like her father where the feelings of others meant nothing. Sighing she knelt down to clean up the things that littered her floor, wondering how Sherlock would react to find a drugs squad in the flat. Julia was lucky they had not found her cigarettes – she decided it would be best to throw them away when she could. They were terrible for health and she only ever smoked when she needed to clear her mind. Maybe she could learn to play some sort of instrument like her father had done. When she was younger Sherlock had attempted to teach the little girl how to play the violin. The memory was still fresh in her mind and it reminded her of the happier times before the bullying happened.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to end the chapter here. The next one shouldn't take too long. :) It is exam leave soon so I have had other things occupying my time. Forgive me for lack of updates. I sort of improvised with the deductions at the end - It doesn't ruin the chapter.


	14. Chapter 14

_Julia you must hold the violin like this."_ Sherlock corrected for the hundredth time, grasping the instrument gently and moving it into it's correct position. The little girl clearly had no comprehension of following instructions. You would think at eight years of age the child would have mastered that by now. Finally though she was holding it correctly and trying to get used to the mass underneath her chin. It felt horrendously awkward and distracting. _  
_

" _How the hell does this help you think?"_ She asked, wincing as her arm cramped. Sherlock held up his own violin and plucked at the strings to ensure they were all tuned correctly. He looked at her questioning gaze.

" _It stops hurting after a while, when the music captures you."_ He answered, lowering himself to her level and showing her where to position her fingers. " _I trust you remember the string names and finger patterns?"_

 _"Yes father"_ She smiled, pointing to each one and reciting them clearly, stopping at " _Open E"_ when Sherlock appeared to be satisfied with what she had learned so far. Remembering things was the easy task - actually being able to play was another thing.

" _Good, now I will be teaching you how to play Pizzicato to begin with."_

 _"Plucking.."_ She murmured under her breath.

" _Yes, now follow my lead and try to replicate what I play. I'll start slowly."_

She tried her hardest to do as he said but she found it too difficult to keep up - her fingers just did not seem to move and change quickly enough and she could tell that Sherlock was growing tired. He knew a long time ago that taking care of Julia required an immense amount of patience which seemed to be waning as she played even more wrong notes. She saw his smile was becoming more forced and set the tiny instrument down.

" _I'm hopeless."_ She said half heartedly, pouting to break the tension. She did not care that she was dreadful at playing, it was simply nice to bond with her father over something that did not involve dead bodies or experiments.

" _No, you have time to learn - Don't be sad."_ He reassured, setting his own violin down and kissing her tenderly on the forehead.

" _I'm not sad. I don't care if I never learn how to play properly"_ She said as she slumped into her favourite place on the couch to watch television. Sherlock sat next to her and steepled his fingers under his chin thoughtfully.

" _Why is that?"_ He asked, attempting to deduce the answer out of her - she beat him to it.

" _I got to spend time with you, dad - And not just because of a case."_ She smiled sheepishly, blushing and trying to hide her cheeks underneath her jumper when she felt them burn. Sherlock raised an eyebrow and placed a gentle hand on her head.

" _Is that all you wanted by asking me, Julia?"_ He asked, piecing everything together and kicking himself inwardly for not realising sooner.

" _Mhmm.."_  She managed through the fabric , now giggling.  _  
_

" _Then I promise to see to find the time to give you what you desire."_ He agreed, wishing it sounded more affectionate in practice. Sherlock didn't cope well with emotions and the little girl knew this from the beginning. She popped out of the jumper and lunged forward, wrapping her arms around him. The detective's breathing hitched, startled and still unused to displays such as this. He awkwardly held the girl and stroked her head. She looked up with him with a sort of joy in her eyes that would make even Mycroft crack a smile and nuzzled her face into the warmth of his shoulder. _  
_

" _I'd love that dad."_ She whispered, causing Sherlock to chuckle quietly to himself.

* * *

She never did master the skill.

Julia turned on her mobile phone to see if there were any missed calls or texts. She remembered the voicemail message and understood that she would need to listen to it to identify the culprit behind them. She noticed that Courtney had texted her as per usual so she relaxed and opened the messages before doing anything else. She read the least recent text first= frowning slightly as she did so.

 **Blackwood just went past me in a taxi on the way back from the chippy,  
** **She was crying - actually crying Jules.**

**\- Courts.**

Julia raised an eyebrow, that girl was the most formidable person she had met, even less capable than her father of showing any emotion other than being a dick. She mentally noted that she would try to deduce the matter the next day at school. There could be countless reasons why she would be upset, neither of which would gain any sympathy from Julia. The girl was a bitch to her and spiteful by nature - nothing would change that.

**Knowing you, that will be the deduction of the day when we arrive at school tomorrow.  
You weirdo**

**\- Courts**

Well at least the best friends thought alike. Finally she opened the most recent message.

**It's late Jules, reply so I know you are at least safe -**  
 **I just saw your dad and some guy sprinting across the bloody rooftop to the flat opposite mine.**  
 **You weren't with them so explain?**

**\- Courts**

So that is where they went..Julia typed her reply and listened out as she heard her fathers voices shouting from down stairs. He must have returned a few minutes ago. It was not surprising what Courtney had just told her. Sherlock was usually in the habit of risking his life for things that could have been solved easily. In fact running accross rooftops was one of his least absurd deeds - and there were a lot of those.

**Don't worry, I am alive -** **Black-wood crying?**  
 **Jesus I didn't know she had a heart.**  
 **I'll text tomorrow, busy with Lestrade right now.**

**\- JH**

She might have lied a little but Courtney was always in the habit of worrying too much for her friend when she genuinely did not need to. She would explain the whole situation the next day to all of her friends and and hoped that the bullies would not bother her too much. She closed her eyes and pressed send before calling the voice mail messaging service. It rang several times before a gruff voice that she had never heard before spoke.

" _Miss 'olmes. You are goin' to come with me and we are goin' to..'ave a little chat."_ The voice seethed before hanging up.

 _Well..at least I know they don't go to my school.._  Julia's thought's reassured her as she threw her phone on her bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well there you go. :) It didn't take me too long to write but given the next chapter is pretty much to end of A Study in Pink, it is going to be long and will take much longer to write. Then I hope to continue with The Blind Banker. Thank you to all of those who have read so far. I appreciate it so much!


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Decided that I there had to be one more chapter before the long one - I'm now off hiatus after exams and leaving school. Good to be back and I am terribly sorry for keeping you waiting. ^.^
> 
> Oh my! So much kudos and bookmarks! Thank you!

**Come with me. If daddy finds out he'll be next.**

That was the last text Julia received when she heard her phone ring. She wanted to pretend she had not read it but where would that get her? At that very moment she knew that she had to face the killer without her father to help her. She reached out towards the phone and pocketed it swiftly before moving towards her desk and clambering out of the window and down the fire escape. Sherlock was still in the living room. She could hear him yelling and see his shadow faintly through the kitchen window as she descended the building. Fear filled every cavity of her body as reality hit her - she was about to face a serial killer in the flesh with little to no way of defending herself. When she touched the ground she sprinted around the back of the buildings and found herself on the corner of back street. Slowly she mad her way to the front door of 221B. There were police cars around but this man was experienced - he had managed to hide his identity so far

Until now.

" _Miss 'olmes."_ The familiar voice called as Julia reached the pavement. She turned around startled to see a perfectly normal cab driver in the shadows. He bared his teeth at her and gestured to follow. Julia shuffled behind him cautiously until they reached the light. He didn't breath a word to her but he had managed to manipulate her with great ease. When they were out on the streets, he moved towards his taxi car and opened the back door. She shook her head, stepping back slowly. He grinned at her with a look that could spark fear into anybody's hearts.

" _No..."_

 _"You're gonna get in the car, I will talk to you and you are gonna kill yourself."_ He breathed, too calm for his own good. Julia looked up at him with disgust and curiosity etched in her gaze.

" _Why did you kill all those people?"_ She asked, looking at her shoes and fidgeting in discomfort.

" _Just come with me. Daddy will be safe and you'll find out everything."_

Julia knew that if she did not go with him, others would die. This seemed too simple however - there had to be a catch. She told herself that she would never take that pill or attempt to kill herself under his instruction, but the others had done it too so there must be a trick behind it all. She could imagine Sherlock kicking himself in annoyance when he realised it was a cab driver. It seemed so obvious now that the killer was there in the flesh and she only hoped that her father would figure it out and rescue her.

" _You know he will come find me."_

_"I know, just like how I got all that information about you."_

" _What information?"_

 _"Car now Miss 'Olmes. I must say you look much like your father in that coat. "_ He ignored her, giving her a sly grin and got into the cab. She looked down self consciously at her outfit and gave in. She clambered into the back seat reassuring herself that Sherlock was going to find her and keep her safe. He started the car engine and the rest of the journey was spent in silence. She hid in the shadows and glowered at her kidnapper - Maybe this was why Sherlock would never allow her to accompany her on cases.

_Damn why don't I ever listen to him?_

* * *

_"There is a blindfold next to you. I want you to wear it."_ The driver ordered after a good ten minutes of driving. He had parked the car in a blackened car park where not a single soul would see them. Julia felt around her for the fabric - it brushed deftly against her fingers and she held it up before her. She cocked her head to the right and inspected it briefly. It seemed to be one of those eye masks one would wear on an aeroplane when trying to fall asleep. She dropped it into her lap and shook her head - it would be too dangerous. She wondered what information he had about her that he could possibly use as ammunition. From the texts he had been sending she had a clear idea but it was still a curious matter as to how he knew even that much about her. Julia figured that it did not really matter and now that she knew what the killer looked like maybe she would still be safe.

" _No.."_

 _"Come on, For Ol' Jeff, be a nice little girl."_ He insisted, unbuckling the seat belt and turning to face her.

" _Why should I?"_ She inquired, her voice remaining calm and collected. The driver let out a small sardonic laugh and pulled out an object from the glove compartment in the passenger seat. Julia heard the familiar sound of a gun cocking and soon found herself face to face with the barrel of one.

 _Damn. Should have seen that coming_.

" _Fine - You win."_ She bit her lip and picked up the eye mask once more, then she lifted it and placed it on her face - hooking the ribbons around the back of her head.

" _Bad things 'appen to bad girls."_ He smiled smugly when Julia began tying the mask over her eyes. " _I knew you would come 'round."_ He chimed - his voice dripped with satisfaction.

" _I'm not doing this_ _for you"_ She snapped, completely repulsed by this man. She was unable to see his reaction to her words as her vision was shielded by blackness - she was also unable to see what he had done with the gun and what he was going to do next. She felt the front door open and close and then felt a rush of cold air beside her as the one next to her was opened. Then she felt rough hands grabbing her the shoulder blade and pulling her up to her feet.

" _Come with me and if you scream - I'll shoot you."_ She heard his voice whisper into her ear.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still alive. ^.^ Updates have been slow due to issues with my mental health that sort of relate to this story. I hope you can understand. As of now, dialogue won't be in italics - I found it made the text difficult to read at times.

**Chapter 16**

* * *

"We've found Rachel." Lestrade informed Sherlock as they buttoned up the cuffs of their shirts. He was proving to Gregory that the flat was in fact drug free by showing him a nicotine patch from earlier on his wrist. The Detective inspector showed him his in return. It was like dealing with a petulant child when it came to Sherlock - it was either his way or no way at all. Sherlock turned to face him.

"Who is she?" He asked urgently - his eyes boring into Gregory's.

"Jennifer Wilson's only daughter." He Clarified causing Sherlock to frown in confusion, it didn't seem to make sense.

"Her daughter? Why would she write her daughter's name? Why?" He breathed, confused. His voice drifted off thoughtfully. Julia's face came to mind at that moment. What would he do or say if he knew he was going to die? Scratching her name would seem pointless in his final moments, but perhaps it made more sense in an average mind. He wished he knew how normal people processed thoughts. He didn't understand people to this extent but he knew somebody who could and she was probably in her bedroom right now being the social recluse she always has been.

"Never mind that. We found the case." Anderson interjected, gesturing towards the suitcase in front of him. His nasal voice made everybody in the room twitch in annoyance. Julia has said once when she was younger that his face resembled that of a Velociraptor and had continued to explain he was also as useful as a Tyrannosaurus Rex attempting to put a hat on with their short arms. Her father never forgot the remark and wouldn't object to Julia pulling practical jokes on the idiot. Whenever Anderson complained that all his pens had been replaced with Julia's toy dinosaurs or when she'd change his computer's background to "Rex" from her favourite movie - _Toy Story -_ Sherlock would pretend to know none the wiser. Those were moments he would genuinely laugh and he never bore regret. The long running joke was one of the many precious bonds between the father and daughter that could never be replaced.

"According to someone, the murderer has the case, and we found it in the hands of our favourite psychopath."

Sherlock rolled his eyes and looked at Anderson as though he were the biggest idiot in the world - which to him he was. Julia was right to make those comparisons.

"I'm not a psychopath, Anderson. I'm a high-functioning socio-path. Do your research." He moved to the living room door and poked his head into the landing to call down the girl he needed for this sort of thing. "Julia!"

"Why do you need Julia?" John questioned - stepping closer to Sherlock feeling utterly lost. Nobody had really explained anything to him and it was already a shock that Sherlock was a recovering drug-addict. The detective turned back to Lestrade and brushed past John with his hands steepled under his chin.

"She understands how people like this behave." He answered, shooting a look towards Lestrade. "You need to bring Rachel in. You need to question her. I need to question her."

"She's dead."

"Excellent!" Sherlock said quickly causing everyone around him to gaze in shock. "How, when and why? Is there a connection? There has to be."

Lestrade held up a steady hand to slow down Sherlock's speech whilst explaining things very clearly. "Well, I doubt it, since she's been dead for fourteen years. Technically she was never alive. Rachel was Jennifer Wilson's stillborn daughter, fourteen years ago."

Julia's age...

"No, that's ... that's not right. How ... Why would she do that? Why?" Sherlock asked confused. Realising that Julia hadn't responded to his calls when the mention of Rachel reminded him of his own child. "Julia, now please!"

"Why would she think of her daughter in her last moments? Yup – socio-path, I'm seeing it now. I feel bad for Julia in that case, you'd probably get off on it if she was murdered. "

"Anderson!" Lestrade hissed - looking apologetically at Sherlock. The detective didn't appear to be affected by the jab and grimaced at Anderson in exasperation.

"She didn't think about her daughter. She scratched her name on the floor with her fingernails. She was dying. It took effort. It would have hurt.." He trailed off and noted his own daughter was still absent and he could not even hear her moving upstairs. I fact there was no trace that she was even in the flat. She was hardly the most quiet of children when traversing places and usually would sound similar to an elephant bounding accross the room. He frowned and John met he gaze - even Sherlock Holmes couldn't hide the worry etched in his eyes.

"You okay Sherlock?" He asked, furrowing his brows in concern.

"Julia!" He called again before looking at Lestrade in the eyes, ignoring John. "Answer quickly - did Julia come home?"

"Yeah, had a right go at me and the boys." He replied sullenly. "Relax, she probably has her headphones on again."

Sherlock shook his head disbelievingly but turned to John anyway "Go up to her room - see if she is there. Hurry." He commanded in a calm voice, not removing his glare until the doctor had disappeared upstairs.

"So you are saying that something about the name Rachel will lead us to the killer?" Lestrade asked, running his fingers through his greying hair. Sherlock looked at him as though he were looking into the eyes of an idiot. Even when internally panicked, Sherlock could still act like a complete and utter dick-head.

"Obviously."

John came trudging into the room moments later. His face was pale and his eyes bore the look of worry and guilt. "She's not there Sherlock."

The detective was already halfway accross the room by the time John had finished speaking. The cogs in his brain were whirling and spinning without mercy. He opened the laptop on his desk and spoke to John - the only other competent mind in the room it seemed. He proceeded to type in a web address that lead to a website designed to help a person locate their lost Iphone.

"Quick, the address on the suitcase. Tell me it now."

"Sherlock, your child is missing." Lestrade commented after John had read aloud the email address. He clenched his fists and clutched his radio device in preparation for sending for back-up. Sherlock held up a hand in dismissal and attempted to log into the website.

"She planted the phone on the killer. She was clever..very clever."

"Sherlock." Lestrade breathed as his patience waned. Sherlock straightened with an eye roll and looked at him with a irritated glint in his eyes.

"He wont hurt her. He is trying to lure us - he wants to be caught." Then he raised his head and whispered to himself. "Brilliant..this is brilliant."

"Brilliant?" John asked wearily. He was unsure what he had gotten himself into by considering moving in with Sherlock. There was something oddly attractive about hunting down criminals though. He couldn't bare the idea of simply sitting home and watching television after spending so many years out in the war. Sherlock didn't seem like the type to enjoy other peoples company so it made him wonder why he was looking for a flat-share. Judging by the things that were in the flat and the high quality of Sherlock's suits - they can't have been cheap. He smiled at the memory of Sherlock explaining in the taxi how one wouldn't spend money or treat a luxury item carelessly if they were looking for a flat share. The detective shook his head when John spoke and went back to looking at his laptop screen.

"Julia will be fine. Anyway - She didn't have a laptop, which means she did her business on her phone, so it's a smartphone, it's e-mail enabled." He began to explain, feeling John move behind him so he could get a better view. "So there was a website for her account. The username is her e-mail address and all together now, the password is?"

"Rachel.." John breathed - still amazed at how nonchalant the man was about his daughter having potentially been kidnapped by a serial killer. Anderson then decided to irritate everybody in the room by making yet another a snide remark.

"So we can read her e-mails. So what?"

Without even looking away from the screen Sherlock replied in the same belittling voice he would normally use when speaking to him. "Anderson, don't talk out loud. You lower the I.Q. of the whole street."

John just knew if Julia was in the room right now she would have giggled aloud despite the current circumstances. He couldn't help but smile fondly at that thought.

* * *

Blinded by darkness and her only thing to guide her way being the taxi driver - Julia held her breath and walked calmly out of fear. In the small of her back she could feel a sharp point that belonged to a knife blade and she could hear the creep breathing into her neck. Then she felt a hand reach into her back pocket and her mobile phone was confiscated from her - his hands almost groped her backside when he did so. She grimaced but continued to move with shuffling feet. She was forced to stop for a moment and the arms around her moved away. A voice seethed into her ear and she felt like shrieking for help.

"Keep walking." The terrain below her feet suddenly changed from cobbles to hard wood flooring and the air around her warmed up ever so slightly. She could hear her foot steps echo against the ground. With a creak and a slam she realised she had been led into a building and the arms around her returned. Then her body was suddenly dragged to the side and she could hear the sound of another door opening, then closing once she was presumably inside another room. She hated feeling so vulnerable with blindness but she understood there must be a reason for this. She remembered her father's remark about how serial killers wanted to be caught. Clearly the cab driver was wanting to do just that and targeting Julia was the best way to carry that plan out. After hearing the click of a light-switch and faint rattling, she found herself being pushed into a chair that had a smooth table in front of it. She could feel fingers at the back of her head untying the blindfold and when she could finally see she was confronted by two tubes containing pills.

"You're gonna love this."

"Will I?"

He sneered and sat in the seat opposite from her with his hands clasped together. "Miss 'olmes. I've 'eard a lot about you."

"I gathered." She replied dryly - repulsed by how close the man's behaviour seemed to that of a paedophile. "Where did you get my number from?"

"Oh now that's not even the best part." He grinned and reached underneath the table, extracting two pairs of heeled shoes from underneath. "Recognise these?"

Julia leaned forward and examined them, playing his game. She lifted one of them into her hands and ran her other fingers accross the stitching. She then tilted it to the side and noted that the quality of the sole was very well kept - if not brand new. There was something familiar about the shoes and a sensation niggling her in her mind was telling her exactly who they belonged to. The stitching was immaculate and was almost invisible against the plush black material. Somebody who had money must have purchased these - perhaps his latest victim if he was keeping them. She pressed her nose against the toe and sniffed gently, noting that they had in fact been worn as they had the slightest smell of nail varnish. Traces of perfume were also imminent on them - very recognisable perfume. However one thing caught most of her attention. Despite the dark colour she could see near the very tip of the toe that there was a blotch of blood, and it was still wet. Julia felt her stomach drop when everything seemed to piece together. The scene outside the club and the text from Courtney moments before she had gotten home only confirmed her fears.

"Kerry Blackwood..." She breathed in a hushed voice. "You killed her?"


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

When Kerry Blackwood had departed the London Underground station as near her home as she could, she felt the same feel of dread and trepidation she would feel every day. She had waved goodbye to her friends moments ago and proceeded to traverse the cobbles. Today was one of those days where she wished she had enough money to pay for another few stops. Her feet were sore and her limbs grew tired and she willed herself to get home before her father did or all hell would break loose. It didn't help that the stupid Holmes girl had given her cheek earlier and had somehow gotten away with it. Somebody really needed to tell her the right way to act around other people.

She'd contemplated calling Gordon to see if any of his friends would be willing to give her a lift home - one of the perks of dating a rich boyfriend - but she was saved from her reverie by a familiar voice calling her name. It was soft and gentle and a little eccentric all at the same time.

"Hello mother" She greeted, stopping in her tracks when a black taxi with the window rolled down pulled up beside her. The withered excuse for a woman shuffled into the seat beside her so that her daughter could get into the cab.

"Hello darling, how was your day?"

"Mum, we can't afford taking taxis everywhere." Kerry glowered at her but softened her expression when she realised how fragile her mother had been lately.

"I made a few extra sales today" She grinned and Kerry clapped her on the shoulder proudly. It seemed to have put both their minds at more ease so they relaxed against the seats and let their minds drift from that subject.

"I failed that Chemistry test." She said tentatively with an arm rested against the window to prop up her chin. The older woman's face bore no disappointment in her child but there was a degree of fear present.

"Don't tell your father dear." Her voice was soothing and her hand was now rubbing circles on Kerry's knee. She tried to hide a bruise that was swelling on the inner part of her wrist and the young girl tried her best to not notice - but her mother caught her wondering gaze. "Your father found a mobile number written down beside the telephone. The bastard thought It belonged to another man."

"What did he do to you?" The girl ran a finger across the purple mark and brushed her thumb over it carefully to make sure there were no lasting injuries. She felt the car jolt as it went over a speed bump and she hoped she hadn't hurt her mother any more. The woman pulled a sticky note out of her jacket pocket which had a recognisable number etched onto it in her daughter's hand-writing.

"Bastard wolloped me one - I didn't even recognise the number"

Kerry examined it and then stuck it to the seat in front of her with the full attention of removing it straight after.

"Oh god - it's that Tranny - Um... Julia Holmes's number." She confessed with guilt present in her voice - knowing that she should have been more careful leaving things lying around when her father was home for the week. "Her friend Paul gave it to Gordon so that he could bully her - I only have it because he wanted to make sure he wouldn't lose it."

"Baby, you shouldn't be bullying people." Her mother reminded weakly, noticing that they were simply down the road from the house now and she would have to pay the cab driver. With trembling fingers she brought her purse into her hands to extract the necessary money. Kerry nodded and adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder in preparation for getting out of the taxi.

"I know mum. I'm sorry - I just don't know how we could manage without Gordon's financial help. The bitch was rude to me on the train too, but this woman defended her"

She attempted to justify her actions but she knew she was most definitely in the wrong. The cab pulled up next to the home they lived in moments later and both girls got out of the car after they had paid the fare. It was surprisingly cheap and the both of them had wondered if the driver had heard about their financial struggles - he had given them a discount after all. Neither of them thought too much of it as they both continued to the door step that branched off from the empty drive-way. They were thankful that the man of the house had not yet returned.

"All will be well soon. You will see."

It wasn't until Kerry had clambered up stairs into her bedroom that she realised she had forgotten to collect the note with the number on it before leaving the car. She shook her head in dismissal and toed her left shoe off. When she was about to kick the other one off she suddenly felt her ankles give way and there was a painful snap as the heel broke off.

"Shit.." She whispered, knowing that her family wouldn't be able to afford a new pair of shoes. The only other pair she owned were for sports and they would never do and she couldn't borrow her mother's as they were different sizes in feet. It seemed she had no other choice but to ask for help from somebody she really wished she had not bothered with.

**My heel snapped on my shoe - Please can you help me buy some new ones? xx - Kerry**

She let her hair fall down her shoulders and she slipped the first dress she could find on - nobody she cared about would see her and if they did they wouldn't dare say anything with Gordon around. His reply had come when she was halfway through dousing the make up from her face and she smiled to herself in relief.

**I'll be there in a few hours babe. - Gordon**

* * *

Julia felt her bottom lip tremor - as much as she loathed Kerry Blackwood, her being dead was the last thing she ever wanted. She dropped the shoe and looked towards the murderer with a mixture of horror and anguish evident in her eyes. He chuckled and fished into his pocket for something, bringing a mobile with a pink case into view. He grinned in that disconcerting way and opened up the messaging application to prove that it was in fact him sending the text messages.

"Funny girl - that Blackwood kid. What was her name? Kelly, terry?"

"Kerry" Julia said bitterly, snatching the phone from his hands and reading the texts herself. "Why did you kill her?"

He wheezed as he laughed this time, licking his bottom lip and then biting it. He leaned forward and placed his hands on the table to help himself stand. She leaned back in her chair as he was towering over her and she clutched the seat of her chair with both palms.

"You see Miss 'olmes." He began pacing the room and wiggling his finger, beckoning for her to follow him. "I didn't kill her."

Julia slid off of the chair timidly and shuffled towards him warily with the mobile phone now snugly placed into her pocket. Her father new that the killer had the phone so if her suspicions were correct about him being able to track her down through the phone - she would be okay as long as she kept it inside her pockets or as near to her as possible. She felt a slight wash of relief knowing that the poor girl had not been murdered but the sight of blood on her shoe still plagued her.

"What did you do with her then?" She asked, moving closer around the table until their arms were touching. She cringed and felt like she could cry out any moment. He snickered and gestured to what looked like an dis-used antique cloak cupboard only a few feet to their left. It was quite tall and narrow and he door was tied shut with an old belt that was at least three or four years old judging by the state of it. When she was sitting down, she could see it opposite her but had thought nothing of it until now. The belt was newer than everything else that in the room so it must have been put there recently. The house she was in had clearly been vacant for quite some time now - evident from traces of cobwebs in the corners and minimalistic furniture surrounding her. The room they were currently in obviously used to be a bedroom possibly belonging to a young adult living in the mid to late-nineties. She could tell due to dust marks on the wall where posters used to be and an old television of a similar model that her Grandparents owned when she was younger. It was probably only left there because they couldn't sell it with the other furniture. While it was difficult to tell from the angle Julia was standing at- there were VHS tapes with romance movies aimed towards younger female adults stored in the corner along with the television. There were indentations on the ground from where a double bed used to reside and a small pile of university textbooks a few feet to the left of the table. The house must have been abandoned years ago and must have been deemed unsuitable for housing new tenants.

"Where are we?" Julia asked, forgetting about her previous question for a moment.

"The old Wainwright house. Its been like this for..oh I dunno, ten..fifteen years perhaps."

"I've never heard of it." She remarked in a half whispered voice

"Rumour 'as it that their kid ran away when she found out she was pregnant. Stupid bitch thought 'er lover would sweep 'er off 'er feet - She was very disappointed. "

"So they left when they knew she wasn't coming home."

"Couldn't face not seeing 'er there. Poor bastards. Flogged nearly everything that was worth something. Never saw their daughter again."

Julia scanned the room one more time and could only imagine the pain that the family must have suffered at the loss of their child. The idea that this man was willing to murder her in such a sensitive environment disgusted her greatly however. "This is what you do, isn't it? Drive people to places nobody ever goes so that you can kill them easily."

"Caught on 'aven't you?" He grinned, folding his arms. Julia wanted to punch him in the face with every ounce of strength that she had.

"What have you done to Kerry?"

"Have a good listen, go on." He coerced, grabbing her by the forearm and pulling her to the direction of the cupboard. It shook as she pressed her ear against it and she could swear she could hear a young girl crying traumatically. The wood seemed to pulse slightly and it was evident that whoever was trapped inside was trembling violently. There was only one person it could possibly be. Instinctively she started to untied the belt that was keeping the wardrobe doors locked and the cab driver did not protest. It was as though he had planned the whole thing and it made Julia shiver knowing that he had been keeping an eye on her for so long. She would never take a taxi again for as long as she lived after this ordeal.

"Kerry - I'm here now. I'll get you out of here." She soothed, pulling the last bit of leather from around the doorknobs and opening them gently. What she saw was far worse than she had anticipated. "Oh god.."


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short one for now - Hope you enjoy. ^.^

Chapter 18

Completely unaware of the ordeal Julia was going through - Sherlock paced the room while John continued to stare at the laptop, waiting for it to locate the mobile phone through it's GPS device. He was in deep thought as he tried to figure out who the killer was. He had to be somebody all of the victims trusted as well as somebody that would not cause suspicion. It also had to be somebody that could easily have kidnapped his daughter without anybody realising - not even Mycroft. His brother was notorious for spying on those that held importance to him through CCTV and if he didn't even notice that Julia had been kidnapped - the killer truly must be clever.

"You say the people weren't connected with each other?" he asked Lestrade who was doing the same as John, clearly more worried than he was trying to show. The Detective Inspector shook his head and turned to face him

"None of their families seemed to know any of the other victims."

Sherlock closed his eyes and attempted to piece together all of the facts that he was aware of. He knew from the disposal of Jennifer Wilson's case that the killer was a man and that he was also driving a vehicle of some sort. He also had to be a trusted person for people he did not know to get into his car - yet he also would have to be clever enough to talk people into taking their lives whilst also ensuring he would not be caught. He would need to know London fairly well also as the locations of the bodies were all in isolated areas. Sherlock contemplated that it could have been a police man - nobody would distrust a police officer. However the risk of it would have been too great and Sherlock had already been informed that nothing of suspicion was witnessed in the areas where the body had been found. Police officers were not known for driving people home like a taxi service anyhow.

"Wait..Taxi..." Sherlock whispered, suddenly experiencing a small epiphany.

"What are you going on about?" John asked, looking up from the laptop which was still searching for the mobile phone's location. Sherlock darted accross the room and stood before John - his eyes boring into the doctors skull.

"Back at Angelo's - we both saw it and chased after it when it slowed down." He explained, hoping John was catching on as he seemed to be one of the only competent people in the room. John nodded in acknowledgement and Sherlock looked visibly relieved. "We thought it was the passenger."

"The Taxi driver was the killer - it wasn't a coincidence after all."

"Yes exactly! It makes sense now."

"I'm missing something." Said the voice of Lestrade who was unaware of what had happened before the two had arrived at Baker street. Sherlock grunted in frustration at the stupidity some people and attempted to explain as he approached him.

"Who do we trust even when we don't know them?"

Lestrade opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by a chiming noise coming from the laptop and John's voice calling out in triumph.

"Sherlock!"

The detective shot a look to John and was quick to be by his side, determined to find the location of his daughter. "Where is it?"

"It's quite far from here - look."

Sherlock glanced at the map reading and felt his stomach drop - it had been years since he had let his mind wonder to location. His face fell and it was clear to John something had deeply disturbed him. He swallowed and John's concern only grew for him.

"You okay?"

Sherlock nodded airily and spoke with a hushed voice as though his mind was somewhere else. "Yeah..I'm fine.." He then lifted the laptop into his hands and gestured for John to follow him. "Let's go - the phone's battery wont last forever and Julia is still at risk."

* * *

Blood trickled down Kerry's forehead in a hot sticky mess and she fought off unconsciousness with as much willpower as she could. She whimpered in pain and terror yet felt somewhat relieved when she heard Julia's reassuring voice. She half expected the girl to leave her behind and run - she was either more compassionate than first thought or the killer had yet to reveal his plans. Everything seemed to black for a moment when she felt arms hook under her shoulders to haul her out of the cupboard. Her feet were bare and she was wearing the same dress as she was earlier. The blonde hostage was slurring something under her breath that was difficult to make sense of.

"My fault...kill you...my family...so...s-sorry.." Was all Julia could understand. She could see tears welling up in the poor girl's eyes and she wanted nothing more than to throttle the man who had done this to her.

"What have you done to her?" Julia barked to the man next to her. He chuckled for what must have been the hundredth time and gestured towards the pills on the table before kneeling down, pulling out a hanker-chief from his pocket and dabbing it on Kerry's head for a few moments. Then he rose again and grinned.

"The kid will live - I only used a small dose of sedatives." He began whilst lifting Kerry and hooking her arm over his shoulder. Julia followed him as he carried her towards a chair and sat her down. He then grabbed the belt from the floor that had been used on the wardrobe and used it to tie Kerry's arms behind her back so she would not fall off the chair. She still seemed groggy but it was obvious she was slowly coming around as her eyes had stopped rolling into the back of her head and she was holding herself up a little bit better than she was before. "Sit down and we can 'ave a little chat."

Julia did as she was told and rested her head on the table on top of her crossed arms. She was surveying the bottles at a better angle to see which one was poisonous. She had already gathered from earlier what his little game was and figured the more time she bought differentiating the two - the better.

"Two pills but only one of them is poisonous."

"Very good." He said dryly. "You still don't know why this bitch is here yet though."

He cast a glance to Kerry who's eyes had widened in terror. Clearly she already knew everything that was going to happen to her and Julia and it didn't seem like a mild thing in any way what so ever. It was strange seeing somebody who had caused her so much hurt at school all vulnerable and frightened and the detective's daughter made a mental note to not judge people so easily again after everything is over. Julia lifted her head from their resting position on her arms and propped her chin on her loosely clenched fist instead.

"Why don't you explain it then - I've got all night."


End file.
